The Bothell Cougars baseball team won the 2011 4A Kingco Championship with a tight 4-3 win over Newport on Thursday night at Woodinville High School, in what was essentially a seeding game for the 4A state tournament.

The Cougars started their ace, Cornell-bound Brian McAfee, who saw his streak of 46 consecutive scoreless innings snapped in the first inning as he gave up a run to Newport.

But the Cougars would respond, plating three in the third as senior Jon Mercer homered, and it was junior Mark Woods who drove in the eventual game-winner, breaking a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning.

McAfee gave up three runs while striking out seven in the complete game effort for Bothell (19-4). The Cougars will open up the state tournament at Kent Memorial Stadium on Saturday, May 21.

Inglemoor eliminated in Kingco consolation finals

The Vikings’ playoff run came to an end on Thursday afternoon at Woodinville High as the Redmond Mustangs beat Inglemoor for the first time in three attempts this season, 6-2 in a loser-out game that earned Redmond a spot in the winner-to-state pigtail game against either Marysville-Pilchuck or Mariner on Monday for the final berth to state.

With seniors Dustin Doucette for the Vikings and Oregon State-bound Dylan Davis for the Mustangs going toe-to-toe for the third time, Davis struck out five in 5 2/3 innings of work and also homered to help his own cause, as the Vikings mustered just four hits in the game to the Mustangs’ nine.

Inglemoor finished its season with a 15-9 record.