It was just a matter of experience vs. inexperience. In the Hazen baseball team’s regional-round state tournament loss against Issaquah, the Highlanders may have been a little too caught up in the moment early and it cost them dearly.

The Eagles took out Hazen 20-2 at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue on Saturday.

A team can’t get much more battle-tested than Issaquah. The Eagles are the defending state champions and won the KingCo tournament just last week.

Hazen, on the other hand, hadn’t been to the state tournament for 15 years and plays as a young team.

“We’re a real young team and we just didn’t make the plays at the beginning of the game that we needed to,” said Hazen coach Chris Chiechi.

The Highlanders have just three seniors on the roster, but coming into the game Hazen had to feel comfortable with senior ace Nathan Bunch on the mound. Bunch stormed through the regular season, striking out 58 batters and walking just seven. But against Issaquah, Bunch lasted just three and a third innings in his shortest start of the season. Bunch labored through 82 pitches, and left with his team down 7-2.

The Hazen defense seemed jittery behind Bunch and committed four errors in the first four innings that extended innings and led to Issaquah runs. Bunch made some good pitches and struck out three batters, but the pressure rose as his defense couldn’t make all of the plays when batters made contact.

“The key for us was getting to the starting pitcher,” said Issaquah coach Rob Reese. “He’s [Bunch] a good pitcher, his team just didn’t play very good defense behind him.”

Reese said the experience difference between the two teams played a huge role in the outcome of the game.

Issaquah starter Jacob Kemmerer wasn’t sharp early in the game. He walked four batters in the first three innings and prompted action in the Issaquah bullpen. Kemmerer settled down and allowed just two singles in the final four innings. He picked up the complete-game win, striking out six and allowing just one earned run.

Once Bunch left the game, the wheels came off for Hazen. Issaquah tacked on seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings as Hazen pitchers Bo Worgan and Derek Cline couldn’t slow the Eagles’ offense. C.J. Waite then came on and an inning and a third of scoreless ball to end the game.

Justin Jacobs picked up the lone RBI for the Highlanders with a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

Issaquah’s Miles Perkins went 3-4 with four RBIs and two doubles. Brennan Miller went 4-5 with three RBIs and two doubles. Spencer Rogers hit three singles and knocked in three RBIs.

Hazen finished 13-7 overall and 12-2 in the Seamount League. The Highlanders finished in second place in the league and played in the state tournament for the first time since 1993.

“We didn’t compete as well as we could have,” Chiechi said. “But we got into a position where Hazen baseball has never been.”

Issaquah beat Franklin Pierce 7-0 later in the day and will play the next state tournament game against Kennewick on May 23 at Safeco Field in Seattle.

Adam McFadden can be reached at amcfadden@reporternewspapers.com or 425-255-3484, ext. 5054.