NK fastpitch on 4-0 streak;

faces Gig today

Following a 10-2 win at Olympic Friday and a 9-0 blanking of Shelton Monday, the North Kitsap fastpitch team stretched its winning streak to four games, rapidly climbing the Narrows’ ladder and creating a showdown for sole possession of second place versus Gig Harbor today.

The Vikings (5-2 league, 6-4 overall) have outscored their last four opponents 28-3 coming into today’s game with the Tides, at 3:30 p.m. at NK field. Gig Harbor won their first match-up 9-1 on March 28 but head coach Dan Kolda warns that North is a totally re-energized ball club since that outing.

“These girls have played a 180,” he said, “and are averaging only one error a game. The offense also looks much better.”

Coreena Stout was big on both the mound and at the plate Friday versus Olympic, holding the Trojans without a hit through four innings and providing five of North’s 10 RBIs.

North dispatched Shelton Monday with ease, again utilizing Stout on the mound and going the final innings with Lauren Romero on the mound. Romero, who also pitched Friday, has provided the team with an additional option that has helped keep the starting rotation rested, Kolda said.

“She’s kind of turned into our closer, which is a pleasant surprise,” Kolda said. That’s helping to keep (starter) Rachael (Kramer) fresh for the big push.”

That “push,” beginning with the Tides today, includes hosting South Kitsap May 2 and playing away at Central Kitsap May 4 and Port Angeles May 6.

And in a Bridge Division as tight as this, anything can happen, Kolda added.

“We could do anything from sneaking into the fourth spot to taking the Bridge title,” Kolda said.

North baseball now 8-0 in league

The North Kitsap baseball team (8-0 league, 11-1 overall) added three wins to its perfect league record last week, beating Gig Harbor 7-6 April 18 and taking two from Port Angeles.

North jumped out to a 5-0 lead versus the Tides but Gig Harbor would tie the game in the sixth. The game winner came when NK’s Ryan Anderson drew a game-winning walk on four pitches that scored Andy Sturza.

Sturza and Marcus Curtis went two-for-four in the game while Jared Prince was two-for-three with two RBIs. Jordan Prince and Jordan Henry also each had 2 RBIs. Sean Carlson got his first win of the season in relief.

North beat Port Angeles at home April 19, 4-2, with Jared Prince (5-0) striking out five and going the distance on the mound. The brothers Prince and Curtis were each two-for-three in the game to provide the offense.

On the road at Port Angeles April 20, North Kitsap beat the Roughriders 9-5, with Jordan Prince (2-0) getting the win on the mound and Carlson coming in during the seventh. Travis Tobin was two-for-three in the game while Curtis was two-for-four with a triple, double and four RBIs. Henry was three-for-four with a triple.

North is at Olympic at 3:45 p.m. today.

North tennis drops two matches

The North Kitsap girls’ tennis team (7-2) lost its first two matches of the season last week, succumbing to the Gig Harbor Tides Wednesday 4-1 and then to the Bainbridge Spartans 5-2 Thursday.

NK had a chance to knock off the first place Tides, taking Gig Harbor to third and final sets in two of its three doubles matches — ones which lasted well over two hours.

Laura Finley (GH) beat Kathleen Teefy, 6-1, 6-0 and Leticia Suarez (GH) defeated Brittany Meek, 6-2, 6-0 in singles but the red-hot North tandem of Erin Gallagher and Kearney Bangs beat Gig’s No. 1, Katie and Chelsey West, 6-1, 6-2 to set up a showdown at the final two positions.

However, NK’s No. 2 team of Meagan Grandall and Katie Oost couldn’t get by Faith Henderson and Emily Brown, losing 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. At No. 3, North’s Emili Kishi and Britt Seaberg also lost a nail-biter to Mali Byrnstad and Kaetlin Hildbrand, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

In non-league competition with the Spartans Thursday, North failed to win a match in singles but won two of the four doubles. In singles, Whitney Cheng beat Oost, 6-1, 6-2, Molly Donahue beat Seaberg, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 and Lauren Trageser (B) defeated Teefy 6-2, 7-5 at No. 3.

In doubles, Gallagher and Bangs again were victorious at No. 1 against the Spartans’ Anna Judd and Jenny Trygg, 6-2, 6-2. Grandall and Kishi beat Gwen Gottlieb and Jocelyn Moody 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2. And at No. 3, Bainbridge’s Jamie Slonaker and Ali Loechl defeated North’s Kathryn Doorey and Joanna Kaiserman, 6-3, 6-2.