BREMERTON — The stats don’t tell the whole story of Kitsap’s performance Thursday vs. Waite Park.
Jacob Kriebel allowed eight hits and had four walks and two strikeouts over 4.67 innings in Kitsap’s 3-2 loss in Game 8 of the Babe Ruth World Series for 13 year olds.
But Kriebel, reliever Anderson Crawford and the All-Stars got out of some tight pinches and, over the game, left 11 Waite Park men on base. Indeed, for the first three innings it looked like Kitsap had narrow control of the game.
Waite Park gave Kriebel pressure in the first inning, but Kriebel kept his cool. Faced with bases loaded and one out, he answered by striking out Joey Atkinson and getting Peter Nelson to ground out.
Kriebel and the All-Stars got out of similar pinches in the second and third innings and kept Waite Park, in its third consecutive World Series, scoreless.
“It looks like they shook those mental cobwebs,” assistant coach Art Heath said. “They made too many mental mistakes last night.”
But it was one of those games that would come down to who would make the first mistake. Those mistakes came in the fourth.
Waite Park’s Daniel Schoberg, who was walked, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a bunt by Michael Petron. In the bottom of the fourth, Kriebel singled and advanced to third on a hit, but was caught trying to steal home. Dawson Krog sacrifice bunted to move Cody Kanouse to second, Tyler Aerne walked and Jerald Delafuente struck out swinging to end the inning.
Waite Park scored two more runs in the top of the fifth. Atkinson singled, advanced to third on a single by Nelson, then scored on a wild pitch. Reagan Garden reached base on a fielder’s choice and was scored by a Drew Amundson single.
Kitsap answered with two runs on three hits. Hayden Trull hit a triple to score Tyler Meek, then scored on a DJ Logan single. But Waite Park reliever Camren Dehler kept Logan on base, getting Crawford to fly out and then striking out Miles Brundage to end the inning.
Bats were silent the next one and a half innings. In the bottom of the seventh, Meek was hit by a pitch, then raised Kitsap’s hopes when he advanced to third on Trull’s sacrifice bunt and Dylan Zuber’s grounder. But Dehler left Meek standing when Logan flied out to end the game.
Waite Park is now 2-0 in the series. Kitsap is now 0-2.
The All-Stars face Westfield, Mass. (0-1) Friday at 7 p.m. and Meridian, Idaho (0-1) Saturday at 7 p.m. They are off Sunday. Championship play begins Monday. Kitsap has to defeat Westfield and Meridian to qualify.
Notebook: Bremerton’s Nathan Adrian, who won two golds and a silver in the London Olympics, will throw out the first pitch of the Babe Ruth World Series championship game Aug. 22 at Gene Lobe Fields, Kitsap Fairgrounds … Kitsap first baseman Cody Kanouse stands 6 feet 7 inches. “He’s grown 2 inches since we put the team together in May,” assistant coach Art Heath said.
World Series Schedule
Gene Lobe Fields
Kitsap Fairgrounds
Aug. 17
Tri-Valley, Calif., vs. Schererville, Ind., 10 a.m.
Meridian, Idaho vs. Waite Park, Minn., 1 p.m.
Burlington, Wash., vs. Monroe Township, N.J., 4 p.m.
Kitsap County, Wash., vs. Westfield, Mass., 7 p.m.
Aug. 18
Schererville, Ind., vs. Monroe Township, N.J., 10 a.m.
Bryant, Ark. vs. Westfield, Mass., 1 p.m.
Greenville, N.C. vs. Tri-Valley, Calif., 4 p.m.
Meridian, Idaho, vs. Kitsap County, Wash., 7 p.m.
Aug. 19
Waite Park, Minn., vs. Bryant, Ark., 10 a.m.
Westfield, Mass., vs. Meridian, Idaho, 1 p.m.
Schererville, Ind., vs. Greenville, N.C., 4 p.m.
Tri-Valley, Calif., vs. Burlington, Wash., 7 p.m.
