By KITSAP NEWS GROUP
No Bremerton High School athletics program has struggled more in recent years than the fastpitch team. The Lady Knights entered the 2009 season on a three-year losing streak that dated back to 2005 and reached 64 games through the first month of 2009. But a 16-3 win against Port Townsend in late March ended the streak, and the team went on to beat PT once more and then rival Olympic to finish the season 3-13. While certainly a modest mark, the three-win season indicates first-year coach Michael Chase appears to have the team headed in the right direction. That positive shift is reflected on the 2009 All-Kitsap County Fastpitch Team, with four Lady Knights earning honorable mention.
The 2009 All-Kitsap County Fastpitch Team was compiled by the sports writers for the North Kitsap Herald, Port Orchard Independent, Bremerton Patriot and Central Kitsap Reporter. Candidates for the team were nominated by the writers for their respective areas. The nominees were then voted on by the writers, with the top vote-getters making the teams. Honorable mentions also were selected from each school. The team includes the best players from area schools who not only performed well individually, but played a role in the success of their team as well.
The following is the 2009 All-Kitsap County Fastpitch Team:
P — Lindsay Willmann, senior, Bainbridge: A four-year starter who coach Liz McCloskey called “the battery of the team,” Willmann compiled a 13-4 record over 114 1/3 innings in 27 games, striking out 134 batters while walking just 24. She allowed 51 hits and only 13 earned runs, finishing with a 0.80 earned-run average. She threw a no-hitter, two one-hitters and didn’t allow an earned run in 26 innings in the Class 3A state fastpitch tournament, leading her team to a state title. Also potent at the plate, Willmann posted team-highs in home runs (three), RBI (29), batting average (.464), total bases (49) and slugging percentage (.710).
P — Carolyn Cross, senior, Central Kitsap: Few players have accomplished what Cross did in four years at Central Kitsap. A 4.0 gpa-student who completed 13 Advanced Placement courses, Cross compiled a 17-6 record in 141 2/3 innings. The right-hander, who will attend Pamona University next fall, threw 1,956 pitches — 72 percent for strikes — and struck out 132 batters to just 18 walks, seven of which were intentional. She also hit .404 to lead CK to a second-place finish at districts and its first Class 4A state-tournament victory since 2000.
P — Kazandra Holliday, senior, Klahowya: The University of Central Florida-bound Holliday was a threat on both sides of the ball, but it was her right arm and six-pitch repertoire that carried Klahowya to within one game of the Class 2A state fastpitch tournament. Holliday, who graduates as the school’s all-time leader in strikeouts with 661, posted a 10-5 record during the regular season to go with three shutouts and 180 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched. Offensively her regular-season numbers included two home runs, 13 RBI and a .358 batting average.
Co-C — Katie Hanten, senior, Central Kitsap; Brittany Wisner, senior, Bainbridge: Any coach would be thrilled to have one of these catchers, let alone both, in their lineup. Hanten, who possesses arguably the strongest throwing arm of any catcher in Kitsap, hit .318 with five RBI and 12 runs to go with a .470 on-base percentage. Wisner, meanwhile, was the heart and soul of the state-champion Spartans. A four-year starter, Wisner contributed 14 RBI and five doubles and scored 15 runs.
1B — Meika Bumbalough, senior, Klahowya: Bumbalough, who next season will take her game to Sterling College in Kansas, was a team captain and hit team-best .500 to go with two home runs and 21 RBI. She also saw action as shortstop, but her best position — the one she’ll play in college — is first base.
2B — Erin Curtis, senior, Central Kitsap: Not only did Curtis post impressive numbers on the field with a .414 batting average, six RBI and a .713 on-base percentage — she didn’t strike out once the entire season, either — but she did it as the school’s Co-Valedictorian, maintaining a 4.0 gpa while completing 17 AP classes. Coach Bruce Welling called her the team’s strongest defensive infielder.
SS — Haylee Baker, junior, Bainbridge: There is no better success story than that of Baker’s. The junior overcame a broken neck stemming from a car accident last year to post a .340 average, 13 runs, a home run and 15 RBI in little more than half the season.
3B — Jenna Bartlett, sophomore, Central Kitsap: Widely recognized as a gritty, physical player, Bartlett hit .325 with 14 RBI and a team-high three home runs. She also finished with a .590 on-base percentage, scoring 10 runs.
OF — Clara Dunn, sophomore, Bainbridge: A run-scoring machine, Dunn crossed the plate an area-high 32 times thanks to a .406 batting average that included six doubles and two triples. She walked a team-high 15 times, equating to a .519 on-base percentage, and she knocked in 11 RBI.
OF — Naomi Stocks, junior, Central Kitsap: No Central Kitsap player hit better than Stocks, who finished with a .460 batting average to go with 12 RBI, 15 runs and 5 doubles.
OF — Cortney Echternach, senior, South Kitsap: The Wolves’ leadoff hitter, Echternach set the table all season long by fashioning a .711 on-base percentage. Her batting average was a modest .263 on 10 hits in 38 at-bats, but she reached base a total of 27 times, coaxing 15 walks from opposing pitchers. All the while, she played stellar defense in the Wolves’ outfield.
UTIL — Lexi Orteza, senior, Olympic: Perhaps the scrappiest player on the Lady Trojan team, Orteza, who throws from the right side but bats from the left, is a true utility player. Primarily a third baseman this season, Orteza finished with a .500 batting average in 64 plate appearances, scoring 18 runs to go with 11 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a .594 slugging percentage.
UTIL – Jordan Chargualaf, senior, North Kitsap: Chargualaf, primarily a third baseman and pitcher, was one of the most reliable pieces of the Viking offense this season. In 46 at-bats, she logged a .413 average, a .481 on-base percentage, and a .739 slugging percentage. Chargualaf filled out her offensive stats with seven doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI.
UTIL — Megan Ransier, sophomore, South Kitsap: South Kitsap coach Kathy Ballew hasn’t struggled to find talented catchers in recent years. Whitworth University’s Caty Lieseke held the position two years ago, while Trish Tremper capably filled the position last year. This year, it was the versatile Ransier, who easily led the Wolves with a .523 batting average during the regular season. She also had eight doubles and a team-high five triples.
Coach of the Year — Liz McCloskey, Bainbridge: After coming up short in consecutive state-tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008, the fifth-year coach pushed the Spartans over the hump to a state championship. Bainbridge, which finished 23-4, defeated Kennedy, Union, Enumclaw and Holy Names en route to the title, its first in school history.
Bremerton honorable mentions
Kayla Abernathy-Rose, senior, first base: Rose finished the season tied for the team lead in stolen bases (15) and RBI (eight) while scoring nine runs and hitting .302.
Alma May Magday, senior, third base: The team-leader in batting average at .340, Magday also stole nine bases, scored eight runs and had five RBI while providing senior leadership to a relatively young Lady Knights team.
Rachael Pratt, freshman, pitcher: Pratt, who pitched nearly every inning if every game for the Lady Knights, proved she has the ability to carry a team. While her season pitching stats were not reported, she stole eight bases, drove in a co-team-high eight runs and hit .270.
Samantha Villalobos, sophomore, shortstop: A leader on the field and in the clubhouse, Villalobos anchored the infield at shortstop. She swiped 15 bases, scored a team-high 10 runs and posted a .238 batting average in 42 plate appearances.
Additional honorable mentions
Paige Antuna, Klahowya; Bridjette Box, South Kitsap; Sarah Buskirk, Central Kitsap; Emily Cunningham, South Kitsap; Morgan Eurazzaga, Klahowya; Julie Fergus, Central Kitsap; Ally Johnson, South Kitsap; Chelsie Kakela, Bainbridge; Jessica Klump, Olympic; Hannah Knight, Kingston; Caitlin McCormick, Bainbridge; Jenneke Oostman, North Kitsap; Lauren Reichert, Bainbridge; Miranda Sanderson, Olympic; Courtney Snellenberg, Klahowya; Kelsey Strickland, Olympic; Jordan Tapp, Kingston; Cara Thompson, Bainbridge; and Hailey Willmann, Bainbridge.
