The Jefferson Raiders soccer team could clinch the South Puget Sound League North title with a win over Kentridge tonight (Friday). The two teams play at 3:30 p.m. at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. The two teams are tied with identical 10-2-3 records in the North. Jefferson has already clinched a spot at the SPSL Tournament.
Tahoma (10-4-1, 31 points) remained alive for the crown as well. If Jefferson and Kentridge tie and Tahoma beats Federal Way Friday (5:30 p.m. at Federal Way Memorial Stadium), the Bears would take the title despite the fact that all three teams would finish with 34 points. If that scenario plays out, Kentridge then would snag the SPSL North’s No. 2 seed to the postseason while Jefferson would take the third seed.
The Todd Beamer Titan boys soccer team secured the South Puget Sound League South Division’s second seed into the SPSL Tournament with a 5-0 win over the Graham-Kapowsin Eagles Tuesday.
The win improved the Titans to 11-2-2 in the South. Rogers (12-1-2) clinched the league title with a victory Tuesday. The Rams won both regular-season meetings with Beamer. The Titans will play the second-place team from the SPSL North May 13 at the SPSL Tournament.
Against Graham-Kapowsin, the Titans got a pair of early goals from Brent VanWechel to take a 2-0 first-half lead. Beamer added second-half goals from Michael Manolides, Ugo Okoli and Dan Tran. Benjamin Draeger and Scott Ferrin combined on the shutout.
The Decatur Gators could clinch a berth into the SPSL Tournament with a win Friday night over Beamer. The two teams play at 7:30 p.m. at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. The Gators enter their regular-season finale with an 8-4-3 record, which was good for fourth place in the South. The top four teams advance into the postseason. Emerald Ridge (8-4-2) and Puyallup (8-6-1) could have moved past Decatur depending on results from their games Friday.
The Gators picked up a 4-1 win Tuesday over Spanaway Lake on goals from Dominique Dismuke, Austin Nuss, Dominic Riccardelli and Michael Klavuhn.
Baseball
The Todd Beamer Titans made quick work of the Rogers Rams Thursday afternoon in an SPSL South tiebreaker to determine the league’s fourth and final berth into the SPSL Tournament. The two teams tied with identical 10-6 records in the South. The Titans blew away Rogers, 11-1, in five innings at Kent Memorial Park.
Beamer will now take on Jefferson at 10 a.m. Saturday at Kent Memorial at the SPSL Tournament in a battle between the two fourth-place teams from the North and South divisions. The winner will advance into the regional tournament as the seventh seed from the SPSL and the loser’s season will be over.
Kent Memorial will also host three other seeding games today at the SPSL Tournament. Kentlake (10-6) will take on Curtis (11-5) in a battle between the third-place teams at 1 p.m., the North’s second-place Kentwood (13-3) will play the South’s second seed, Emerald Ridge (13-3), at 4 p.m. and the winner’s of the two divisions, Tahoma (14-2) and Puyallup (14-2), will play for the SPSL championship at 7 p.m.
Against Rogers, the Titans tallied two runs in the second, six in the third and three more in the fifth and got a solid pitching performance from senior Carson Wolbert.
Wolbert allowed only two Rogers’ hits, struck out six and didn’t walk anybody during his five innings of work.
Offensively, Beamer was led by the 2-for-3 day of Jeffrey Apigo, who homered and finished with four RBIs. Kelvin Ketchum added a two-run home run and Mac Gridley finished 2 for 2 with three RBIs. Travis Crumb scored three runs.
Decatur ended their season Tuesday night with a 4-2 loss to the second-ranked Puyallup Vikings. The loss dropped the Gators to 7-9 in the SPSL South.
Decatur jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but couldn’t hold it. The Gators got a strong pitching performance from Greg Bull, who allowed just six hits against the powerful Vikings. Senior outfielder Justin McDonald finished 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI. The Gators had only three hits during the game.
Fastpitch
Things are still up in the air as to whether or not the Todd Beamer Titans will make their first-ever postseason appearance. The Titans ended the regular season with a 7-9 record in the SPSL South after beating the Decatur Gators Monday afternoon, 6-3.
The Titans are now awaiting the results of several makeup games involving Spanaway Lake and Bethel. Both teams could catch Beamer for the fifth and final berth into the SPSL Fastpitch Tournament, which will be played May 14-15 at Service Fields in Kent. Emerald Ridge (15-0), Rogers (12-2) and Puyallup (11-4) have already secured the first three spots in the South Division. Bethel currently sits at 6-7 and Spanaway Lake is 7-8.
If need be, Beamer would play a tiebreaker game against either Spanaway Lake or Bethel on Tuesday, according to Beamer athletic director Jerry Peterson.
Against Decatur, Titan pitcher Emma Blauser gave up only three hits and the offense was led by Taylor Winton, who finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a home run. Caitlyn Cullinan added an RBI triple and Jennifer Halstrom was 2 for 2.
Girls tennis
The SPSL Tournament will kick off Saturday at Kent-Meridian and Auburn high schools. The North Division will play in Kent and the South will play in Auburn. Match play for the first two rounds of action will start at 8:30 a.m. The third rounds of the tournament will be played on Monday, starting at 9 a.m.
