Grit, Gloves, and Gold. 11 Seed Knights earns first ever STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!
Read the Everett Herald Article Here
King’s Baseball are underdogs no more. In front of a packed Joe Martin Stadium full of Knight faithful, King’s took home its first ever State Championship in the young 12-year history of the program. A team built on grit over glamour, pitcher Brady Reiss pitched 8 complete innings, giving up just 1 earned run and 2 hits with 5 strikeouts.
The first inning went 1-2-3 quickly for the Knights offense, as the Montesano pitcher worked efficiently most of the night. The bottom of the first provided the first scoring opportunity, with 2 outs, Montesano took a hit batter and a walk to put a runner in scoring position. However, the Knights defense – which has been strong all year – came through with a routine groundout to SS John Bjella to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard and end the first.
A more dramatic 2nd inning came for the Knights in the field, as Montesano would load the bases with one out and get the games first run on a base hit thru the left side. With a crooked number potentially coming, the Knights defense stepped up, turning a critical 4-6-3 double play to keep the score 1-0 Bulldogs heading to the 3rd.
From there, it was an arms race until the 6th, when a routine groundball to 3rd off the bat of Koa Higashino was thrown away to allow Koa to advance to 2nd as the tying run with no outs. A passed ball on an 0-2 count allowed Koa to advance to 3rd. Sticking with their small ball theme this season, C Nate Echelbarger delivered a lofty fly to left field that allowed Koa to slide safely home without a tag to tie the game at 1.
A 1-2-3 bottom of the 6th gave the Knights even more confidence as the pressure shifted squarely on the Bulldogs. The Knights kept the momentum of the top of the 6th going in the 7th, with a leadoff double from 1B Titan Root and roars from the Knight crowd could be heard back in Shoreline, anticipating what comes next. This leadoff double would be the only hit on the night for King’s, and would go without being cashed in, as we headed to the final half inning still tied at 1. The drama built in the 7th inning, with a 2 out hit batter, Montesano had the winning run on 1st with a full count. A 3-2 count threatened to put that runner in scoring position, but a lazy liner to SS John Bjella ended the threat and sent the game to extra innings.
Then came the 8th inning, leading off was Knight Root. A grounder to the backup 3rd baseman allowed Knight on base with the poor throw. Pinch running for Knight would be Sam Ruhlman, playing a critical role on the mound all season and now in the State Championship game, stealing 2nd on the first pitch. Koa was up next and battled but came up empty with a strikeout. An intentional walk to Nate Echelbarger to create a force out play brought up Jakob Fowler but again could not advance runners. With two outs the real drama began, as the starting pitcher who had kept the Knights offense at bay had to be pulled due to the pitch count rule. This changed everything. A 5 pitch walk to Brady Reiss loaded the bases, bringing up the only batter who had a hit on the night, Titan Root. The first 3 pitches were not close, and in an act of desperation, a pitching change was made. The anticipation built and the Knights fan got louder, a clear difference maker in the game. The first pitch sailed through – high – for ball 4 and the Knights 2nd run of the game. A fly ball out by Nate Bjella would end the inning with the Knights ahead 2-1 heading to the bottom of the 8th. A team built by small ball and scoring by any means possible was three outs away from fulfilling a lifelong dream.Â
The bottom of the 8th started with a routine fly to center fielder and senior Jakob Fowler for the first out. Knight fans could sense the moment. A fly ball to left field on a 1-2 count would end up in the hands of senior Knight Root. The Knights were one out away from history. On a 1-0 count, a grounder to the sure-handed SS John Bjella would be easily flipped to Titan Root for the final out and celebrated in style – a dogpile with a finishing jump from 2nd year head coach Henry Carson.
King’s Knights are the 2026 WIAA 1A STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONS!
This team showed the heart, unrelenting work ethic, and a team-first mentality worth its weight in GOLD.
Congratulations to our State Champion Knights and for Knight Nation for the overwhelming support in Bellingham all weekend.
To God be the Glory!
