What’s the best strategy for facing what is arguably the best hitting lineup in the state?

The answer was simple for Skyline’s Travis Snider on Tuesday afternoon — go right after them.

“I was pitching to contact and making my defense get the ball,” the senior said. “I was trying to get it down and get some ground balls and just see how it played out.”

The plan worked to perfection for the right hander as he lifted the Spartans to a 4-3 victory over the state’s top ranked 4A team.

“Travis Snider was pretty remarkable,” Skyline head coach Chris Tamminen said.

Snider pitched a complete seven innings, allowing just four hits and two earned runs while striking out four. The most significant of those punch-outs came in the top of the seventh with two outs and the go-ahead run at second base. Snider reared back and struck Michael Conforto out on three straight pitches.

“A guy on second, two outs and facing one of the better hitters, if not their best hitter — he really pitched great,” Tamminen said.

The Spartans, who never trailed Tuesday, fed off Snider’s momentum in the bottom half of the seventh. With one out, Weston Blackburn reached on an infield single. Connor Gilchrist followed with a bloop single. Pinch runner Michael Stewart then moved to third on a failed pick-off attempt by relief pitcher TJ Whidby. Sophomore Matt Sinatro took over from there, lifting a 3-2 pitch to the opposite field for a game-winning sacrifice fly.

“He gave me a fastball, I just saw it and hit it,” Sinatro said. “It was awesome, I can’t even describe it, it was a good feeling.”

Skyline got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Jimmy Sinatro scored his brother, Matt, on a sacrifice fly.

Redmond tied the game, 1-1, in the third on a sacrifice fly of its own, before the Spartans snagged the lead back in the bottom of the fourth.

Clayton Huber drove in pinch runner Brad Kaplita on a sacrifice fly. Brandon Fischer followed with a monster two-out home run over the right centerfield fence for a 3-1 lead.

Redmond rallied in the top of the fifth to tie the game again. The Mustangs recorded all four of their hits in the inning, tying the game, 3-3, on a sacrifice fly from Conforto.

“We went up 3-1 and they came back that next half inning and tied it up,” Tamminen said. “For us to not to get down … was great to see. That was a big win, that was a lot of fun. Redmond’s a very, very good team. For us to battle with them and compete is a great character builder.”

Jim Sinatro went 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI and Snider was 2-for-3.

The victory moved Skyline into third place in the KingCo 4A with a 6-5 league and 8-9 overall record.

The Spartans are hoping to use Tuesday’s big win as a launching pad — possibly mirroring last season where they earned a state berth after entering the KingCo 4A tournament as the only team with a losing record.

“This whole year we’ve had our ups and downs, but I think it’s a good time to get hot right now,” Snider said. “Luckily we didn’t peak too early and hopefully with this we can just push right into state and see what we can get done.”

Skyline faced Eastlake Wednesday after The Reporter’s deadline. They face Newport on Friday and close out the regular season Monday at Issaquah.

Eastlake grabs first league win

Eastlake earned its first KingCo 4A victory of the season Tuesday afternoon, knocking off Issaquah 2-1 in Sammamish.

Wolves’ starter Josh Borokas held the Eagles to just four hits, striking out eight batters.

Eastlake scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Andrew Carey’s two-out, single drove in John Armour.

Robert Nolan, Derek Papke and Armour all had two hits for the Wolves.

Jack Gellatly was 1-for-3 with a run scored for Issaquah, which dropped to 6-6 in league and 8-10 overall.

Eastlake improved to 1-11 in league and 5-12 overall.