Six innings of lights out pitching gave way to a back-and-forth extra inning affair between the Cougars of Central Kitsap and Capital in Silverdale April 30.
In the end, the top cats of the 3A South Sound remained such as CK’s bullpen issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks and a 2-RBI double in the eighth inning en route to a 6-2 loss and a playoff path clouded in uncertainty.
CK coach Justin Brien’s club enjoyed six innings of no-run ball thanks to a dazzling performance on the mound from junior pitcher JJ Martinson, but too many missed opportunities kept the home team from changing the growing tally of zeros on the left field scoreboard. “We had the traffic today, and sometimes, it’s been difficult to even get the traffic on,” Brien said. “It was nice to get those runners, but we just couldn’t get the big hit.”
Martinson’s exit after 5⅔ scoreless innings signaled a wavering in the game’s dead-even momentum. Capital took full advantage in the top of the seventh, taking a 2-0 lead on multiple RBI hits.
The visitors would also call upon their bullpen in the bottom half of the seventh, and CK would plate its first run on a fielder’s choice ground ball. Then senior Hunter Wallis exercised his plate discipline, working an RBI walk to tie the game 2-2.
A lazy fly-ball out kept the game knotted up going into extra innings, and what Brien called a lack of focus cost his team the game. CK found itself one pitch away from ending the inning on multiple occasions, but two runs came in to score on RBI walks and an RBI double put the game away.
Brien said, “Kind of the bug that has hit us all year is giving up free bases, whether it’s a walk or a passed ball. It just takes a little hit, and it’s something we can’t come back from.”
CK’s playoff picture remains as complex as ever with the loss—a win in its May 1 regular-season finale all but assuring their advancement but a loss leaving the team’s fate up to circumstance.
“Our whole league is very competitive, and it’s shown by the whole cluster of us right in the middle,” Brien said, adding he’s still confident the team will seed somewhere in the top five. “One through seven, one through six are definitely league solid, and whoever’s throwing strikes or getting that extra hit on any given day is going to win the game.”