SELAH — North Kitsap’s Olympic League nemesis did them in one final time in 2019.
After losing to East Valley (Yakima) 5-3 in the first round on Friday at the 2A state tournament, the Vikings met up with Port Angeles, which had been blasted 19-2 by final four team W.F. West.
The Roughriders bounced back behind the pitching of Kiana Watson-Charles. Their junior southpaw tossed a three-hit shutout against North Kitsap, ending its season.
“Three hits can’t win a game,” head coach Jamie Smaaladen said. “Not at state.”
A couple of early rallies could have helped swing the momentum of the game, but the Vikings left five runners in scoring position in the first three innings.
The biggest missed opportunity came in the second inning after Mackenzie Wagner reached on an error and Samantha Burgh singled to give their team runners on second and third with no one out, but no one was able to bring them home.
Olivia Nevaril and Aeverie Politika hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning to open up a 4-0 lead.
“It’s definitely not how we expected to finish against P.A.,” Smaaladen said.
The Vikings put up a better fight against East Valley (Yakima) in their first game. After giving up a first-inning home run, they rallied to tie the game at two in the top of the second.
Iyreland Lawson opened the frame with a double and Sarah Smith followed with a bunt single. Makayla Stockman brought in a run on a sacrifice bunt and then Genevieve Keller dumped a single over the shortstop to tie the game.
East Valley put up one more run in the third and two more in the sixth. Four of its five runs were scored by runners who reached via a walk or hit by pitch.
Burgh cranked a solo home run to center in the seventh to cut it to 5-3.
East Valley (Yakima) 5, North Kitsap 3
NK 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 — 3 9 1
EV 2 0 1 0 0 2 x — 5 7 2
WP: Locke LP: Stockman
Pitching
North Kitsap — Stockman 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K; Smith 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, K.
East Valley (Yakima) — Locke 7 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 K.
Hitting
North Kitsap — Burgh 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, R; Keller 1-3, RBI; Villiard 2-4; Lawson 1-3, 2B, R; Smith 2-3, R; Stockman 0-3, RBI; Goetz 1-4, 2B.
East Valley (Yakima) — Locke 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, R; Siebol 1-3, BB, R; Base 1-2, 2 BB, RBI; Reid 2-2, 2B, BB; Scheibner 1-3, 2B.
Port Angeles 6, North Kitsap 0
PA 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 — 6 7 1
NK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 3 2
WP: Watson-Charles LP: Smith
Pitching
Port Angeles — Watson-Charles 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 2 K.
North Kitsap — Smith 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K; Wagner 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Nevaril 2-4, HR, RBI, BB, R; Politika 1-4, HR, RBI, R; Roening 1-1, 2 BB, 2 R; Cargo 1-4, 2B, RBI, R; Holland 1-3, 2B, RBI; 12 1-1, 3B, R.
North Kitsap — Burgh 1-3; Goetz 1-3; Wagner 1-3.
Olympic goes 0-2 at state
The Trojans didn’t fare well in their first game, losing 16-6 to Lynden, but nearly pulled out a tremendous comeback in game two. Unfortunately, Eatonville’s walk-off 3-2 victory ended their season.
Sophomore Riley Burdyshaw did an excellent job in a tough situation, stepping in to start in an elimination game after pitching sparingly this season. She gave up one run in the first inning, but held her team in the game, putting up five consecutive zeroes on the scoreboard.
“They played well defensively behind Riley,” Olympic head coach Jessica Cabato said. “She did a great job holding them and we didn’t hit behind her.”
The offense waited until the seventh inning to finally wake up. Elisa Turnquist singled and then came around to score on an error to tie the game. Allanah Mitchell, appearing in what would turn out to be her final game, then smashed an RBI-single to put her team ahead.
Unfortunately, the Cruisers were able to pick up two runs in the seventh inning to pick up the victory and move on to the next round.
“Making it here, playing a good game, finishing it strong for the seniors, giving them a chance to come out and play for seven innings in this one, it exceeded expectations,” Cabato said.
Olympic had trouble containing Lynden in game one, as the Lions pounded out 16 hits, though a five-run third inning certainly made things interesting.
Zionna Thomas and Mitchell opened the frame with back-to-back singles. The two moved up to second and third on an error and Thomas scored Olympic’s first run of the game on a wild pitch. Vanisa Ivie then walked and stole second and freshman Cayla Richmond delivered an RBI-single to cut the lead to 7-2.
Molly Gates came up next and hit a long three-run homer to left-center field to bring Olympic within two, but that is as close as the team would get.
Ivie hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, her 18th of the season, which extended the school record after she hit her record-breaking 17th against Sequim in the district tournament.
Lynden 16, Olympic 6
Lyn 5 2 0 4 4 1 x — 16 16 1
Oly 0 0 5 1 0 0 x — 6 8 3
WP: Swendt LP: Kroesser
Pitching
Lynden — Swendt 2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, K; Ramerman 4 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 4 K.
Olympic — Kroesser 4.2 IP, 14 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; Burdyshaw 1.1 IP, 2 H, R, ER, BB.
Hitting
Lynden — Simonsen 1-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R; Anderson 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R; Swendt 2-5, 2B, 3 R; Saur 2-4, BB, 4 R; Doerge 3-5, 2 R, SB.
Olympic — Gates 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, R; Ivie 2-3, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R, SB; Richmond 2-3, 2B, RBI, R; Chipley 2-4, 2B; Mitchell 1-3, R.
Samantha Burgh hits a home run to center field in North Kitsap’s first round 2A state tournament game against East Valley (Yakima). (Mark Krulish/Kitsap News Group)
