POULSBO — It was a game similar to many in North Kitsap’s season.
League leader North Kitsap (10-1, 13-1) trounced Bremerton (2-6, 4-8) 12-1 on April 27.
North Kitsap scored 10 of those 12 runs in one inning — the fourth — and Bremerton was able to answer with only one run before the game ended on the mercy rule.
Bremerton pitcher Taylor Saylor gave up 10 runs and 13 hits in 3 2/3 innings. North Kitsap’s Kole Milyard allowed three hits but held Bremerton scoreless in four innings.
All told, T.J. Jensen was two for three with a triple and two runs; Leif Klinger was three for three with three RBI and a run; Nate Gowin, one for three with an RBI and a run; Kole Milyard, one for three with an RBI and a run; Connor Green, three for three with a run; Nate McCown had two runs and a stolen base; Tyler Trainer was two for two with an RBI and two runs; Zach Marcelino was one for two with an RBI and a run; Andrew Hecker was one for two with a triple and a run; and Joey Regan scored a run.
The top four teams in the Olympic League qualify for the West Central District Tournament on May 9, 13 and 16, with higher-seeded teams hosting games. Earlier, Sequim took the brunt of two defeats at the hands of the Vikings, who gave every intention that they expect to be at districts.
Milyard tossed six strong innings and North Kitsap broke open a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth to knock off the Sequim Wolves 11-1 on April 20.
Evan Hurn and Tanner Rhodefer had two hits each for the Wolves, but Milyard held them in check as the host Vikings held a 2-1 lead going into the sixth. That’s when North Kitsap strung together six singles in seven at-bats to chase Rhodefer and a pair of relievers.
On April 23, Hecker took the mound and kept Sequim in check for six innings, as the Vikings took advantage of four Sequim errors to upend the host Wolves 10-4.
North jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning but Sequim responded with three runs in the bottom of the second, getting RBI singles from Gavin Velarde and Dusty Bates. The Vikings, however, tallied two runs in the fourth inning and four in the fifth inning.Hecker struck out eight in the Viking win.
North Kitsap statistician Virgil Taylor, who coached the Vikings from 1966 to 1993, said this is one of the strongest North Kitsap baseball teams he’s seen. And that’s saying a lot, considering the Vikings won the state title in 1988, sent Aaron Sele to the Dodgers, and have gone to the state playoffs eight of the lastnine years.
“First of all, our pitching is a lot better than we suspected it was going to be,” he said of this year’s team. “We knew we had two players who were good pitchers, but we ended up with a third starter, and we have three or four relievers that do a pretty good job too.
“We’ve been hitting the ball really well and our scores are higher than normal — we’ve scored in double figures in numerous cases this year, which makes us very happy.”
What makes the team click?
“The players like one another,” Taylor said. “They’re good friends. They hang out together. Plus, we’re still young [as a team]. We have seven seniors but we have a lot of good juniors. Our junior class is our real strength. We’re looking for a good year next year.”
Next: North Kitsap travels to Olympic (7-1, 9-4) on May 1, then hosts Lynden at noon May 2.
