Issaquah Eagles head coach Rob Reese made his way to the pitcher’s mound for a conference with starting pitcher Jack Dellinger in the top of the seventh inning against the Skyline Spartans.

Issaquah had a 3-2 lead, but Skyline had runners on first and third base with two outs. Reese didn’t meander to the mound to pull Dellinger from the game — instead he made the short jaunt to instill confidence in Dellinger’s psyche.

“He pitched a great game,” Reese said. “He had got the guy coming up to the plate the past three times. We weren’t taking him out. He was going to win the game for us and that was going to be his last batter.”

Dellinger got Skyline’s Tommy Swinscoe to fly out to left field, preserving Issaquah’s 3-2 win against Skyline on May 1 in Issaquah.

“He just threw a gem for us,” Reese said.

Dellinger surrendered just seven hits and no earned runs in the victory. The junior right-hander was glad Reese not only left him in the game, but also was glad Reese didn’t go to the bullpen after for the top of the seventh.

“I absolutely wanted to stay in the game. Coach didn’t say anything to me (prior to the seventh inning) so that is the green-light to go back out there,” Dellinger said.

Skyline (10-9) built had an early 2-1 lead in the second inning. Issaquah tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third and took the lead for good after scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth. Skyline senior Danny Sinatro went 2-for-4 at the plate and Jonathan Criest had 2 RBI in the loss. Eagles’ junior Gunnar Erickson went 2-for-3 in the victory.

Issaquah (11-7) have won five of their past seven games. The Eagles aren’t the same team that started the season, with two losses by more than 10 runs.

“We got some confidence. The young guys have figured out they can do it,” Reese said. “They’ve learned that it’s a different game than JV or C-team ball. They have bought in and we have turned the corner.”

Dellinger concurred with Reese’s sentiment.

“We weren’t expecting to get beat like that,” Dellinger said of the early season losses. “We just came together and saw how many games we had left and said lets try to win them all.”

Reese is looking forward to the postseason with his ball-club.

“It’s playoff time. We starting to play our best baseball at the end of the season which is what you always want to do,” he said.

Shaun Scott: 425-453-5045; sscott@bellevuereporter.com