KINGSTON — The first and only North End junior high rivalry played out on the baseball diamond featured stop-and-go momentum, which seemed to swing in only one team’s direction.

When facing a team with the offensive power of the Kingston Cavaliers, a team’s collective glove must be solid in order to be successful. Coming off of their first win of the season over Cedar Heights, the Panthers felt poised to put up the wall, but early errors contributed to the team’s downfall.

“We didn’t hit well, but more than anything else we made too many errors,” said PJH coach Walt Draper. “This game was kind of a disappointing because (the team) always gets up for Kingston, but when it comes down to it, you’ve got to play your best every game.”

As the Cavaliers cruised to a 8-2 victory, firmly holding onto the lead throughout the game, Draper felt the Panthers’ best game did not show up at the Kingston diamond May 18.

But the Panthers did strike early, scoring two runs in the first inning off just one hit by taking advantage of a Kingston error. Then in the bottom of the inning, the Cavs returned the favor.

Paul Bagaala batted in the first Cavalier run with a single, while the Panthers kept the Kingston at-bat alive by dropping two pop flies. By the end of the initial inning, the Cavs had mounted a 3-2 lead.

Austin Overton pitched the next two innings for the Cavs, allowing only one Panther hit, which produced nothing on the scoreboard.

“I got to give them credit, after (the Cavs) got rid of their first inning jitters, they played really good defense,” Draper said, noting the Panthers’ inability to secure solid hits off of the Kingston pitchers. “It seemed like the hardest balls we hit were the ones that went foul.”

Poulsbo’s woes at the plate continued as the Cavaliers increased their lead to 8-2 by the top of the fifth inning which they would carry through the final inning.

“If they’ll play to the level they are capable of, if they’ll not worry about who they’re playing, but just worry about what they need to do, they are very, very talented group of kids,” KJH coach Scott McKay said of the Cavs, noting team speed and experience as team strengths.

In the upcoming week, the Cavs will need to harness that strength and disperse it evenly as they play back-to-back-to-back games starting May 23. The Cavs will host Sedgwick at 3 p.m. Tuesday, then they will be on the road at Oak Bay on May 24 and at Bremerton May 25.

The Panthers will be looking to wrap up a dismal season on a high note as they host Bremerton May 23 and travel to Oak Bay May 25.

Both teams have four games remaining in 2006.