POULSBO — The top two teams in the Olympic League will have to wait another day for their first matchup of the season.
North Kitsap (4-0, 5-2) was scheduled to host Port Angeles (4-1, 7-2) today, but Mother Nature had other plans. The game is scheduled to be made up on Thursday, April 12, although there is currently a 50 percent chance of rain in the forecast.
The Vikings are undefeated in league play and have outscored Olympic League opponents approximately 9-1 over their first four games. That large margin is supplied mostly by a 16-1 win over Bremerton on March 16 and a 15-2 win over Sequim on March 23.
Junior Isaac Richardson is currently North Kitsap’s top hitter and pitcher. Richardson is batting .478 at the plate (11-for-23) with four doubles and four RBI. Kyle Green is close behind, hitting .474 (9-for-19) with a team-leading nine RBI. Other top hitters include Jordan Robbins (.385 with two doubles), Chris Schucart (.286 with four RBI), Logan Chmielewski (.273) and Tucker Gowin (.263 with four RBI).
Richardson is also the team leader in innings pitched with 18.2. He has compiled a 2-1 record in five games with 12 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.51. Ryan Hecker, the team’s ace, missed much of the season with an injury. He has yielded one unearned run in four innings since returning. Freshman Kaden Storm has a 3-0 record despite throwing only 5.1 innings.
The rainout creates a tough situation for North Kitsap, as the team is now scheduled to play three games in three consecutive days. The Vikings have home games Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 against Kingston and Central Kitsap, respectively. North Kitsap will also play four games next week, though you never know when the rain will step in and force some of these games to be rescheduled.
— Mark Krulish is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at mkrulish@soundpublishing.com.