Baseball: Abbruzza and Davis Lead Redmond Past Skyline 7-0

The Mustangs of old seemed to be back in Tuesday's 4A KingCo playoff baseball game against Skyline, as Redmond escaped unscathed from its second loser-out situation in as many days.

Ace Zach Abbruzza’s two-hitter and a Dylan Davis' 3-run homer helped Redmond defeat Skyline 7-0 Tuesday afternoon at Woodinville High School. The Mustangs will face the winner of Tuesday’s late game between Inglemoor and Woodinville in another loser-out game at 4 p.m. here Thursday.

“If it turns out that we’re getting hot at the right time, then I’ll take it,” said Redmond head coach Dan Pudwill, whose team had lost five of seven games before Monday’s win over Issaquah. “I don’t care how we get to the state tournament, as long as we get there.”

For a team which started the year ranked 49th nationally by ESPN RISE and was second in the first four weeks of rankings at washingtonbaseballpoll.com, this is how it was supposed to be all along.

“When our team clicks, it’s fun to play,” said the Oregon State-bound Davis.

And the 8-1 first-round loss to Inglemoor on Saturday seems ancient.

“We don’t like to get embarrassed like that,” Abbruzza said. “We felt like it was important for us to come out and make a statement.”

Redmond (16-7), the Crest Division No. 2 seed, and Skyline (11-12), third in the Crest, had split the previous two tightly-contested meetings. But with Abbruzza on the mound Tuesday, the Mustangs knew a couple runs were all they’d likely need.

“It makes it so fun to sit back and watch him pitch and know that the defense is going to play well behind him,” Pudwill said.

The Gonzaga-bound right-hander, who struck out seven and allowed only one walk – to the first batter of the game – retired 10 straight batters in the middle innings and 17 of 18 overall to end the game.

“Dylan’s huge hit started to loosen me up a little bit, and I was able to go out there and have some fun,” said Abbruzza, making just his third start of the season due to shoulder stiffness.

The Mustangs only managed one hit the first time through the order. But with two outs in the third, the onslaught began.

Back-to-back singles by fellow future Beaver Michael Conforto and Abbruzza set up Davis’ rip to left-centerfield on a first-pitch fastball. Abbruzza’s two-out RBI single in the fourth made it 4-0. This timely hitting is something that Pudwill said “has been lacking lately.”

Redmond chased Skyline lefty Clayton Huber (five earned runs on 10 hits in five innings) in the sixth with its final three runs. Peter Handron’s sacrifice fly plated Nick Rothermel and then Patrick McGrath’s fly ball to left-centerfield was dropped – scoring two more Mustangs.