Empty at-bats spell two losses for NK 14s

Published 4:00 pm Saturday, July 22, 2006

POULSBO — Thus far in this year’s state tournament, North Kitsap’s 14-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars have learned a hard lesson in yin and yang.

Playing host to the 2006 Babe Ruth North Washington State Tournament, the NK 14s, in front of their hometown crowd, were looking to make a statement like they had the year before as 13-year-olds when they batted into the championship game.

However, a championship now shines in the distance, seemingly just out of reach as the NK 14’ dropped their first two games in tournament pool play. Wednesday Ellensburg squeaked past NK with a 2-0 win; Thursday Bainbridge Island shutout North 6-0.

“The last two games now I’m at a loss, I’m clueless,” NK manager Ken LeMay said in the aftermath of Thursday’s disappointment. “I mean we spent days and days and days working our swings, live pitching the whole nine yards. But when it came down to this tournament the bats disappeared.”

In the first two games combined North managed only four total hits — two in each contest. But in the team’s first match up with Ellensburg, Austin Abrahamsen and NK’s defense were as focused as tattoo artists.

Early on in the second, Abrahamsen displayed signs of North;s defensive tenacity with a diving stop for the first out of the inning. Then Ellensburg loaded the bases, threatening to take advantage, but Abrahamsen sealed their chances as he gloved a single-handed double play to close the inning.

In the bottom of the third inning, NK’s defense shone again with 6-4-3 double play, but Ellensburg scored on the next play as eventual game MVP Tyler Morris blipped an RBI single to short right.

Without much noise on offense, North never recovered and Ellensburg stole the game.

“Since we lost our first game, we thought for this game we might be more prepared, but obviously we were not even close,” NK standout pitcher Austin Overton said of the team’s match up against BI. “We just could not pull this together, I don’t get it.”

The Thursday night match up with the Islander All-Stars provided the same offensive lull for the NK 14s only this time the offensive drought was joined with an error-ridden performance in the field.

Luckily for North, Overton was blazing from the mound.

“Our kids were looking at pitches, they weren’t swinging the bat,” Bainbridge manager David Coatsworth said, noting his team’s apprehension was likely spawning from the speed of Overton’s pitching. “I was trying to get them to generate some offense, but they just couldn’t pull the trigger.”

Overton threw a no-hitter through the sixth inning, however North was still at 2-0 disadvantage due to errors in the field that Bainbridge quickly took advantage of.

After a rock solid BI defense retired the NK side in succession in the bottom half of the sixth, the BI offense exploded in the final inning. Four hits contributed four runs as the Islanders sprinted to the 6-0 decision in their first game of the tourney.

“I don’t know about pressure,” LeMay speculated on the cause of NK’s drought. “I think maybe the first inning or two, but after that they were backing each other up in here … they stayed positive.”

Headed into their final game of pool play at 6 p.m. tonight against Moses Lake, the NK 14s are looking to remain positive and have fun. North faced Mount Vernon Friday, but results were unavailable at press time.

Two teams with the best records from each respective pool will converge in a single elimination championship bracket to determine the state champion beginning at 11 a.m. July 24 at Snider Park.