POULSBO — Spring break for these guys was no day at the beach.

The North Kitsap baseball squad took on Bremerton in a two-game series last week and hosted non-league Capital Friday, coming away with three wins in three games.

Especially noteworthy was a win over the Cougars in a 7-5 game that saw the Vikings get out of a jam in the seventh with the bases loaded. But being in those situations with tough non-league opponents can only make North better, said head coach Steve Frease.

“That’s why we play these guys,” he said. “We’ve got Olympia coming at the end of the year. You’ve gotta play good competition to get better.”

Chris Williams led the Vikings’ hit parade, going two-for-three with two doubles and Kevin Gartin improved to 4-0 in a somewhat impromptu performance in which he went a lot farther than even Frease had anticipated.

“Kevin threw exceptionally well,” he said. “We were only going to let him throw 40 pitches after two innings but he ended up at 30 after three. So we left him in.”

Capital knocked North around in the first inning for three runs but the Vikings quickly retaliated in the bottom half, with both brothers Prince — Jared and Jordan — smashing in one run each.

NK manufactured a run in the bottom of the second, with Henry drawing a lead-off walk. After stealing second, he was moved to third by an Andy Sturza bunt and scored when Travis Tobin flew out.

North continued to pound Capital for hits and walks in their final three innings, scoring at least a run in each and highlighted by back-to-back doubles to the gap by Williams.

Capital’s last chance came having scored two runs in the top of the seventh and with the bases loaded for their No. 4 hitter, Hala Ling. But Gartin composed himself on the mound and struck Ling out to end the game.

North Kitsap (7-1 overall, 4-0 league) will now move into more league play in the coming week — Gig Harbor in a late game Tuesday and Wednesday — but has rebounded from its lone loss versus Shorewood nicely, commented the team’s catcher Marcus Curtis.

“We hadn’t been ourselves, the mentality wasn’t there,” Curtis said. “But I think today is a step forward and we’re going in the right direction. It was a big win.”

He credited much of the work to the pitchers, both Jordan Prince and Gartin, along with Jared Prince, who have been developing as the season progressing.

“Like any team, (pitching is) kind of rusty at the start,” he said. “But it’s only gotten better. Jordan’s really stepped up a lot and Kevin looked really good today.”