North Kitsap Vikings win Olympic League title, defeat Kingston Buccaneers in last regular season game

POULSBO — The North Kitsap Vikings earned their third consecutive Olympic League baseball title after defeating the Kingston Buccaneers Monday.

The game at North Kitsap’s home field ended with a Viking victory of 2-1. For the seniors on the team, it’s a good way to say goodbye to the last regular season of their high school careers.

“This is a game I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Viking catcher Nick Benish said. “It’s a great cap to the regular season.”

The last time the two teams met, the Vikings won 10-0. The Vikings were picked by some to be the 2A Division champions; with that in mind, Kingston head coach Scott McKay said holding their rivals to two points was another step in the right direction.

Does it feel different to lose by one point instead of 10?

“No,” McKay said. “When your up competing and you lose, it doesn’t feel different no matter how many runs you give up.”

However, McKay has a positive outlook. If the Bucs can compete against a team expected to win the state championship, he said he expects his team to stay competitive through the postseason.

Vikings head coach Jeff Weible said he expected to see more competition this time around. Even if both teams were 0-19, he said they would have still put on that kind of show.

“These guys have grown up together and their pride was on the line,” Weible said.

In a low-scoring game, the defense carries a heavier weight. Smith said he was not happy with his performance in the first inning and had difficulty throwing past some of the Bucs batters. As he adjusted, things turned around.

Though it can be frustrating when the team has a low-scoring game, Smith said he knew the Vikings were not going to close the game with a score of 10-0.

Players Zane Minder and Alex Nettleton scored the two runs for the Vikings. Nick Torento put the single run on the board for the Bucs.

With the last game of the regular season over, both teams prepare for the postseason.

Benish said the Vikings lost a few games at the beginning of the regular season the team could easily have won. In the last few weeks, however, the team has pulled together, he said.

“It’s a great way to end it,” Benish said of winning the title at the end of the regular season. “One of the best feelings I’ve ever had; winning with these guys.”

Statistics

Game summary:

Kingston: 010 000 0 — 1 run on 6 hits and no errors

North Kitsap: 000 002 X — 2 runs on 10 hits and 1 error

Individual statistics will be posted when they become available.

Olympic League standings (League/Overall)