Vikings bid Bremerton ‘good Knight’

Published 10:00 am Saturday, May 1, 2004

BREMERTON — Even though the final score was 11-3, the first-place North Kitsap varsity fastpitch team needed a little extra “oomph” Wednesday to beat an aggressive Bremerton Knights squad in a Narrows League Bridge Division game.

Tied 3-3 going into the fourth inning, NK’s pitcher and senior leader Heather Case batted a ball right up the middle, while exhaling a loud grunt.

With some hustle, Case turned her shot into a double, bringing home two runners — Katy Johnson and Brenda Stice.

Her hit sparked a four-run inning that put the Vikings (10-0 league, 14-1 overall) ahead for good.

“I’m already being teased about that,” she said, referring to the loud noise she made when she hit the ball.

After her hit, teammates and parents in the stands repeated her grunt sound with laughter.

Before the clutch hit, Case said she felt the Vikings’ perfect record was in jeopardy.

“I felt a lot of adrenaline,” she said. “I felt nervous, but we had leaders in the dugout and we felt like we had to win the game.”

Case also struck out nine Bremerton (5-10, 3-7 league) batters in the game. Despite having only two seniors on their team, the Bremerton fastpitch squad proved they could contend with the best in the league. The Knights nearly matched the Vikings hit for hit, getting 14 compared to NK’s 16.

Bremerton’s Jacqui Bushor kept most of her balls low in the strike zone but the fifth-inning firestorm by the Vikings did her in.

Bushor is a sophomore, but the hard-throwing Knight is a major element in Bremerton’s potential future success.

“I think it is a big turnaround season,” Bushor said. “Everyone wants to win. Sometimes we are doubtful but the girls here are playing with a lot of heart.”

Bremerton coach Steve Chaussee said it was a testament to the team’s potential that they stayed close for most of the game.

“That’s a complement to this team to have held the league champions up until the fifth inning,” he said. “They are a well-hitting team.”

Before the game, Chaussee roused the players up a little to get them ready for the tough game ahead.

“I tried to get their hearts in the game,” he said.

However, when North Kitsap started smacking the ball in the fifth inning, their dugout exploded with cheers and chanting. During tense moments, they were loud and encouraging. Sometimes barely a peep emitted from the Bremerton dugout.

“We had to come out with 100 percent of our game on,” Case said. “We had to take it up another notch.”By CHRISTOPHER MULALLY

Bremerton Patriot

BREMERTON — Even though the final score was 11-3, the first-place North Kitsap varsity fastpitch team needed a little extra “oomph” Wednesday to beat an aggressive Bremerton Knights squad in a Narrows League Bridge Division game.

Tied 3-3 going into the fourth inning, NK’s pitcher and senior leader Heather Case batted a ball right up the middle, while exhaling a loud grunt.

With some hustle, Case turned her shot into a double, bringing home two runners — Katy Johnson and Brenda Stice.

Her hit sparked a four-run inning that put the Vikings (10-0 league, 14-1 overall) ahead for good.

“I’m already being teased about that,” she said, referring to the loud noise she made when she hit the ball.

After her hit, teammates and parents in the stands repeated her grunt sound with laughter.

Before the clutch hit, Case said she felt the Vikings’ perfect record was in jeopardy.

“I felt a lot of adrenaline,” she said. “I felt nervous, but we had leaders in the dugout and we felt like we had to win the game.”

Case also struck out nine Bremerton (5-10, 3-7 league) batters in the game. Despite having only two seniors on their team, the Bremerton fastpitch squad proved they could contend with the best in the league. The Knights nearly matched the Vikings hit for hit, getting 14 compared to NK’s 16.

Bremerton’s Jacqui Bushor kept most of her balls low in the strike zone but the fifth-inning firestorm by the Vikings did her in.

Bushor is a sophomore, but the hard-throwing Knight is a major element in Bremerton’s potential future success.

“I think it is a big turnaround season,” Bushor said. “Everyone wants to win. Sometimes we are doubtful but the girls here are playing with a lot of heart.”

Bremerton coach Steve Chaussee said it was a testament to the team’s potential that they stayed close for most of the game.

“That’s a complement to this team to have held the league champions up until the fifth inning,” he said. “They are a well-hitting team.”

Before the game, Chaussee roused the players up a little to get them ready for the tough game ahead.

“I tried to get their hearts in the game,” he said.

However, when North Kitsap started smacking the ball in the fifth inning, their dugout exploded with cheers and chanting. During tense moments, they were loud and encouraging. Sometimes barely a peep emitted from the Bremerton dugout.

“We had to come out with 100 percent of our game on,” Case said. “We had to take it up another notch.”