Baseball
Blaine boys baseball season ended May 6 after the team lost twice in the double-elimination 1A district 1/2 tournament.
The Borderites took on the King’s Knights at Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham in the first round of the playoffs. After a 6-4 loss, the team dropped down to the consolation bracket where it faced the Lynden Christian Lyncs – a team Blaine beat 7-4 in the regular season. This time a late push from the Lyncs would see the Blaine boys’ season cut short, with the game finishing 5-3.
Blaine finished its season with a 13-8 overall record and 10-5 in conference.
Boys soccer
The Borderites lost 4-2 to the Meridian Trojans in the 1A district 1 championship May 9 at the Blaine High School stadium.
Two goals in two minutes from Trojan midfielder Roberto Guzman early into the second half forced Blaine players to chase the game. With the score at 3-1, Leonardo Blanco got a goal back for the Borderites with a lofted left-foot shot from outside the box that hit off the crossbar and in. Blaine continued to chase a leveler but conceded an own goal from an attempted clearance on a cross to the back post that was difficult to deal with.
Blaine head coach Gio Quesada said he saw two different games in one.
“The first half the team dominated,” Quesada said. “The kids really applied everything into the game. But in the second half, little details made the difference. In the championship games, the little things make the difference.”
Blaine opened up the scoring in the first half, when a corner kick was flicked past the Meridian goalkeeper and senior forward Joel Barrientos-Estrada stuffed the loose ball into the goal. The Borderites took the 1-0 lead into halftime after creating the majority of the chances in the first half.
The momentum shifted in the second half when a misplaced tackle gave Meridian a penalty kick. Senior goalkeeper Kael Evinger guessed right but the shot was just out of reach. Fifteen minutes later Guzman snuck a freekick past Evinger and into the bottom right corner of the net. Moments later he hit a rocket from outside the penalty box that went in off the crossbar.
Coming into playoffs, Blaine and Meridian were the first and second seed in the district and each had beat the other during the regular season.
With the loss, Blaine will play the Lynden Christian Lyncs at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 11 at the Blaine High School stadium.
Quesada said he expects to see even more desire from his team against the Lyncs.
“Don’t put your head down,” Quesada said he would tell his team. “There’s one more final.”
Girls softball
The Lady Borderites came home from Montesano with two games and a loss after playing Elma, Montesano and Bellevue Christian high schools May 5 and 6. The team then beat the Squalicum Storm 1-0 on the road May 9.
Blaine will finish its regular season playing the Lakewood Cougars at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 11 at Pipeline Fields in Blaine.
Blaine is 17-2 overall and 13-1 in conference.
Track and field
Athletes on the Blaine track and field team will compete this week at the 1A district meet at Lynden Christian High School. Day 1 was May 10. Day 2 is Friday, May 12, starting at 4 p.m. Blaine athletes will compete to qualify for the 1A bi-district meet next week, which is also at Lynden Christian High School on Thursday, May 18 and Saturday, May 20.
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