South Kitsap struggled to play clean baseball against Curtis, as the Wolves fell to the Vikings at home 11-6 April 22.

The Wolves (5-8 in league, 5-12 overall) entered the matchup coming off a convincing 13-0 win over Spanaway Lake April 18.

“For some reason, (we) have a tendency to come out flat at practices and games, and it takes a while for them to get going,” SK coach Marcus Logue said.

SK starting pitcher Konor Tupuola got off to a rough start in the top of the first inning, letting up three runs, mostly due to infield errors.

The top of the second featured more of the same for the Wolves’ fielding, letting up an additional four runs, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead.

Logue made a pitching change in the top of the third, subbing in Jordan Yashruti for Tupuola. Yashruti managed to get SK out of the top of the third inning after letting up an additional run.

The Wolves scored their first run of the game from a Santiago Herrera RBI double. SK added on to their scoring in the bottom of the third with a Jones single to center field, scoring Herrera and cutting the Vikings’ lead to eight.

“We just got to come out early,” Carson Puryear of SK said. “I mean, we come out flat. Defense isn’t on the same page, pitching isn’t on the same page.”

Nonetheless, the pitching struggles continued for SK with relief pitcher Leehen Barnhart walking home a run in the top of the fourth, giving Curtis an 11-2 lead by the end of the inning.

However, Barnhart responded in the fifth inning, forcing a fly out, ground out, and strikeout to make quick work of the Viking batters. Herrera followed up with an RBI double to left field in the bottom of the inning, scoring Puryear.

Left fielder Tommy Frei managed to get a hit on the first pitch in the bottom of the seventh and Puryear connected on a single to left field, giving the Wolves two on base with no outs. Center fielder Dominic Kaptur hit a deep double to left field, driving in two more runs. However, the Wolves couldn’t put together any more runs.

“We have the talent to be able to compete,” Logue said. “We just have to put it together.”

SK coach Marcus Logue talks with his team during the first inning in a loss to Curtis April 22.