The Ballard High School baseball team finished up the 2010 season with a 5-3 loss to Woodinville May 4.

The teams were tied at one apiece after the first inning. Woodinville scored three runs in the fifth but, Ballard answered with two runs in the sixth. Woodinville tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Beavers couldn't find an answer.

Junior Brenden Foor hit one-for-two for Ballard with two RBIs.

Despite the loss, the Beavers continued their trend of improvement in the later half of the season. Woodinville beat Ballard 5-1 in their previous meeting this year.

Ballard finished the year with a 6-10 KingCo record and 6-12 overall record.

The Beavers were 2-7 in the first half of the season but closed out the year by going 4-5. Ballard averaged 4.6 runs in the second half of the KingCo season after averaging 3.5 in the first half as the team raised its batting average by about 40 points.

"We grew as a team as the season went on," coach John Lamm said.

He said he was pleasantly surprised at where the team was a few weeks ago.

The Beavers spent the middle third of the season going 4-2, beating two of the top 10 teams in the state and pulling to within striking distance of a .500 record and possible playoff spot.

The loss of senior pitcher Charlie Beaudoin to a back injury with four games remaining took the wind out of the team's sails, Lamm said. He said players feel different, like they always have a chance to win, when their number-one pitcher is on the mound.

Lamm said he is proud of what a young and inexperienced Ballard team did this season, and he feels the baseball program is heading in the right direction.

"The biggest thing our team did this season is when we fell behind, we didn't give up," he said. "We didn't quit."

Lamm said he has heard from other coaches that the Beavers opened some eyes around the league this year. He said teams are starting to feel like games against Ballard aren't going to be a party anymore.

Ballard is losing five seniors – Will Tyler, Charlie Beaudoin, Colin Johnson, David Doerr and Ryan Garrett – but has four freshman now with varsity experience, including Rory Graf-Brennen, who was a major offensive contributer this season.