The South Kitsap Wolves tallied two runs in each of the last three innings, overcoming two late-game deficits and a crucial error to record a 6-5 victory over the Central Kitsap Cougars March 12 in Silverdale.
The Wolves’ first victory of the season was win No. 1 for longtime assistant turned head coach Nick Kenyon, who was awarded the position in late 2023 following the departure of Marcus Logue.
“These kids just competed all day,” he said. “They’ve worked over the past month-plus to get in shape and ready for it. They deserved this win.”
Bats were silent through the first four innings as CK pitcher JJ Martinson allowed no hits, but walked three.
SK’s Luke Fenton matched that performance for two innings, but in the third gave up three-straight hits, including a pair of doubles by Martinson and Logan Munro. Kenyon made an early pitching change, but CK made it 3-0 before David Horton escaped the inning.
Then, a brief but chilling shower became the turning point of the game, even with no significant delay in play.
“A turf field like this is great, especially compared to what we’re used to playing on,” Kenyon said. “We look forward to it, no matter what the weather is out here. We’re playing baseball, you know?”
The bats of the Wolves began to connect against the Cougars’ relief pitching. A single by Dominic Kaptur and a steal of second and third gave SK a ray of hope in the fifth, and Payton Moritz brought him home with a base hit. He, too, stole second and, in an attempt to take third, ended up scoring on a wild throw by the Cougar catcher.
The Wolves kept the momentum in the sixth. A walk and error put runners at the corners, and a perfectly executed double steal plated the tying run. SK loaded the bases and went ahead on a Kyler Brummond walk.
CK fought back loading the bases in the bottom of the sixth. An infield ground ball and throw that might have ended the inning instead whizzed past first base. The Cougars retook the lead 5-4.
“They could have easily stopped competing right there after that letdown,” Kenyon said of his team, “but they just kept grinding and got after it.”
Kadyn Jones tied it on an RBI single. A Cougar fielding miscue via a wild pickoff attempt brought home the winning run, as CK went scoreless in the bottom of the seventh
Kenyon spoke on the work needed to ensure not every win is as dramatic. “We need to just focus on throwing strikes and competing on the mound and, at the plate, dialing it in and getting those base hits. We got to take advantage of those counts.”
Kenyon and Logue led SK to a state title in 2015, but has struggled mostly since. They said this win was an encouraging first step in the right direction.
“I’ve seen ups and downs,” Kenyon said, “so I’m just trying to build it back up from where we’ve been. It’s gonna take a lot of dedication from the coaching staff and the kids and a lot of hard work.”
