ARLINGTON — Arlington senior Jon Van Eyk has bragging rights next time he gets together with his summer baseball teammates.
On April 3, Van Eyk helped lead Arlington to an 8-1 win over Snohomish in the first game of the teams’ two-game series.
“I play with a bunch of those Snohomish guys,” Van Eyk said after pitching a complete game and batting 3-for-4 against the defending state champions.
The Eagles took advantage of Snohomish mistakes in the first inning to build a five-run lead. Leadoff batters Curtis Johnson and Tony Geist were walked and designated hitter Kyle Ayres rendered the bases loaded on a pitching error, setting up a two-run double by Van Eyk to quickly break the 0-0 stalemate. Ayres scored shortly after on an error at home, allowing left fielder Brandon Pierce to bring in Van Eyk and shortstop Garth Rose with a triple near the bottom of the lineup.
Arlington’s momentum carried into their next at bat, once again leading off with Johnson who walked a second time. Geist moved him around with a bunt and Van Eyk improved on his first hit with a home run over the left field fence.
Snohomish avoided a shutout with a pair of base hits from the top of their lineup, but got no more than a single run, thanks to Arlington’s efficient defense.
Pierce earned a third RBI in the third inning to give Arlington its eighth and final run, bringing in Rose. He would end the game 3-for-3 batting with a fifth-inning double.
According to Arlington coach Erik Heinz, Van Eyk came off of a rough game against Lake Stevens, making the victory over Snohomish even sweeter.
“I don’t want to call it redemption, because we have a lot of faith in him,” the coach said. He added of the teams’ next encounter April 6 after the Times went to press, “Snohomish is a great team. There’s no way they’re going to take a game like this lying down.”
Heinz said he plans to keep the team focused on playing well the rest of the season and less on the win.
“It’s a great next step, but it’s just a step,” he said.
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