POULSBO — On any given Sunday one team is going to win and the other is going to lose.
For the North Kitsap baseball team it was a Friday.
On March 21 the Vikings lost a home game to the Central Kitsap Cougars, 19-3.
“They were a better team than us on that day and they beat us,” said NK head coach Jeff Weible. “Central Kitsap put the ball into play and played sound defense. They are a good team.”
The first two innings came to a close without a run for either team. But the third inning told a different story. And it was a story that continued to be written in favor of the Cougars.
CK crossed the plate three times in the third inning and went on to retire the Vikes after four batters.
Then came the fourth inning — one that seemed to never end for North, as 17 Cougar batters had their chance at the plate.
It appeared as though the mystical forces of the supernatural were working against the Vikings, as nearly every CK hit found a hole and a path to the outfield. Each hit narrowly missed the glove of NK’s shortstop, who dove and stretched out every time to stop the ball. Each pop fly magically bounced off the stitches of the Vikes’ outfielders’ gloves, who did get to the right place at the right time and were ready.
Add in a few crazy pitches, a few walks to load the bases and when the dust settled the Cougars led by 14.
“It was just one of those games where everything found a way to get through and when things start getting up on you they start to snowball,” Weible said. “Some days you get beat, but I was happy to see that nobody quit. Our guys stayed in the game.”
North’s seniors were getting the team fired up in the dugout.
And the fourth inning was also North’s time to shine. The Vikes posted three runs of their own.
When Kramer Uvila took the plate his bat was hot and sent the ball sailing to the fence, knocking in two runners. A crazy Cougar throw to third base allowed Ulvia to coast home, securing the Vikes’ third and final run.
“He’s (Uvila) on fire right now,” Weible said. “He’s probably our best hitter by far right now.”
Central added five more runs in the fifth and kept the Vikes scoreless.
Instead of moping or lecturing, Weible downplayed the loss and used it as a learning opportunity for the team.
“The kids are smart, they know baseball. They know we didn’t play up to our capabilities,” he said.
Next on the schedule for NK baseball is regaining confidence, which will hopefully be restored today as the Vikes travel to Mount Tahoma. On Friday Mount Tahoma will be the guest at North’s park. Both games start at 4 p.m.
The Vikings have a 1-2 league record and a 2-3 overall record.
