Auburn Mountainview baseball drops close one to Kentlake
Published 2:40 pm Friday, May 1, 2026
After a 15-run win in game one of the series against Auburn Mountainview, the Kentlake Falcons’ bats cooled off, but the pitching was red hot.
The Falcons (14-4) scratched across one run in the bottom of the sixth to win their 11th game in a row by a score of 1-0 on April 30. Auburn Mountainview (8-8) has now lost four straight as they enter their final two games of the regular season.
Kentlake’s Matthew Ledbetter took the ball in game two and out-dueled his summer ball teammate in Jay Swanson of Auburn Mountainview. Both pitchers carried no-hit bids into the fifth inning and were pitching at a high level.
“It feels really good. I am glad we all worked as a team. I am glad I was able to help out the team for this win,” Ledbetter said.
Ledbetter has taken huge strides of improvement on the mound. Over his last five appearances, Ledbetter has been on another planet when he takes to the mound. He’s thrown 22 IP, given up 8 hits, one earned run and struck out 29 hitters. His ERA over those five games is 0.41, his ERA for the year is 1.48. “Watching him his last couple outings, he has just gone out there and attacked,” head coach Mike Suguro said. “It’s super explosive.It might be 85-86 on a good day, but it plays like it is 91-92 miles an hour.”
Swanson knew his team needed a jolt, especially following the disappointing game one against Kentlake. Swanson’s perfect game bid was over in the first inning following a walk from Christopher Moore, but Kentlake hitters were off balance all night. Swanson’s focus was strike one and let his defense do the rest of the work for him. “I knew I had to step it up if we wanted a close game,” Swanson said.
The duo of right handers held minimal traffic on the bases as each pitcher held their end of the no-hitter bargain. But in the bottom half of the fifth, Kassian Elder doubled and was aided by a misfield by Maddox Shoul in centerfield. Elder would later be picked off to end the fifth inning for the Falcons.
“The kids never waivered, there was never any panic. We stayed pretty, pretty strong to our approach. The guy over there was tough, my hat is off to him. He had a two seamer that was running in on our hands. The kid was good,” Suguro said.
Ledbetter’s no-hit bid lasted until the sixth inning, when his summer ball teammate doubled to centerfield. Swanson recorded the only hit while simultaneously holding Kentlake to just one hit and a zero on the scoreboard.
“I didn’t realize I had a no hitter, but once I gave up a hit I kind of realized it. But I just kept going. I didn’t try to let that change by approach,” Ledbetter said.
“That is my guy,” Swanson said. “I just tried to get on his fastball, but it really crept up on us.”
The winning run came across via Ledbetter in the bottom of the sixth. Jacob Lawrence reached on an error, which allowed him to reach second base. With two out, Ledbetter hit a high chopper to short and Imani Brown couldn’t come up with it, allowing Lawrence to score.
Kentlake finishes its season with a two game set against White River before the district tournament gets going May 12-16. Auburn Mountainview now sits one game out of a postseason spot as Thomas Jefferson sits one game in front of the Lions in the standings. “We dropped two to Decatur, Mount Vernon and Tahoma. All of those guys are top three in the state in 3A and 4A. Playing tough competition gets you ready for these moments. I tell the kids all the time, iron sharpens iron, to be the best you gotta beat the best,” Suguro said.
Last year Auburn Mountainview was swept aside by Thomas Jefferson. The Lions have to do the sweeping this season to get into the district tournament. “We just gotta play good small ball. We gotta clean up some errors in the field and get bats more hot against these good pitchers,“ Swanson said.
