Pesky Trojans double up on punchless SK

For whatever reason, the Olympic Trojans always seem to step up against South Kitsap on the diamond.

“It’s nothing different than I told the kids,” SK coach Jim Fairweather said following Olympic’s 8-2 and 6-3 sweep of the Wolves at the Kitsap Fairgrounds Ballfields on Tuesday. “Every time we play them, no matter what their record, they get up for these games.”

The then-winless Trojans had been having a hard time putting together timely hitting to go with solid defense and pitching. The previously 4-2 Wolves remained tied atop the Narrows League’s Bridge Division with an undefeated league record.

But just as Fairweather said, it didn’t matter when the teams met Tuesday, just as it hadn’t last season, when SK was 13-7 and Oly just 9-10. The Wolves fell to Oly 7-3 before squeaking out a 7-6 11-inning win.

In 2004 it was the same, with both teams at 10-4 in the Bridge. But again, they split, with South winning 8-3 and falling 9-7 in 8 innings.

In 2003, the 5-9 Trojans lost to the 12-2 Wolves 9-5 but rallied to win the second battle 6-4.

“For me, I take it as a compliment,” Fairweather said. “But I’d like to see them get up against the rest of the league, too. But it looks like we’re all equal.”

And with North Kitsap knocking off Gig Harbor on Monday, only Central Kitsap remains undefeated in Bridge play. And even though it seems the league has more parity this season than last, when NK dominated, Fairweather said his team’s potential should keep the Wolves on track.

“It’s just frustrating, because it just shouldn’t be that way for this team,” he said. “The tough part is what’s in their heads.”

Small lapses helped Oly get the upper hand on Tuesday, as the Wolves played right into Oly pitcher Mark Fojtik’s hands. Foktik, more of a ground-ball pitcher who relies on his defense, got South to scatter six singles in the game, not giving up the Wovles’ pair of runs until the bottom of the seventh inning.

South was the home team in the first game after Monday’s game was rained out.

The Trojans finally got the timely hitting they’ve been waiting for, victimizing Andrew Thatcher for seven runs. Nick Bankus proved he’s further recovered from a knee injury during football, as Oly’s top player went 2-3 with a pair of RBI.

P.T. Whalen went 1-3 with 2 RBI and Jason Bernett was 1-4 but smacked a two-run double.

For South, designated hitter Mike Cooper mustered the Wolves offense with a 2-3, 2-RBI effort.

But Fairweather said more of the team’s young hitters must step up for the Wolves to remain in the Bridge hunt.

“Our pitching and defense have carried us all year,” he said. “We just have to hit. That’s been our thing all year long.”

The Wolves’ bats were more active in the second game, outhitting Olympic nine to eight. But even though the team spread the ball around more, Olympic scored five runs in the fifth and sixth innings to break a 1-1 tie and secure the eventual 6-3 win.

Bernett came up big again for the Trojans, with his lone hit bringing home a pair. Whalen was also strong, going 2-3 with a double and 2 RBI. Ronnie Purser, although giving up more hits, also scattered all singles in the winning effort.

Kyle Pease led the South Kitsap charge going 2-3.

Josh Lounsberry was 1-3 with 2 RBI and Zach Jacob went a perfect 3-3. But that couldn’t keep Mitch Williams from getting the loss.

“We’re working on trying to use more of the field,” Fairweather said. “I’ve been telling them all season long, ‘Use mid- to right field.’ But still, we made a couple of mistakes and Oly (2-8, 2-4) made us pay for them in both games.”

South Kitsap (4-4, 4-2) next travels to Central Kitsap Tuesday for a 3:45 p.m. battle with the Cougars at Huey Field.

• South JV remains unbeaten: The South Kitsap junior varsity baseball team swept a pair of games from Olympic this week and remained unbeaten on the year.

Drew Saddler, Trevor Johnson and Brad Johnson combined on a no-hitter in the Wolves’ 8-0 win Monday in Silverdale. Saddler struck out seven over four innings of work while Johnson and Johnson sat down three on strikes in the rain-shortened six-inning game.

The Wolves broke out the bats in Tuesday’s second game and downed the Trojans 17-1 behind the hitting of Brad Johnson and Todd Dalrymple.

Johnson was 2-3 with a double and five RBI while Dalrymple collected two hits and also drove in five runs.

Kyle Hawkins was 2-3 with a pair of RBI while Ben Hale and Adam Douty allowed just three hits for the Wolves.

 

Narrows League

Bridge Division

Tuesday, April 4

Olympic 8, South Kitsap 2

Game 1 of double-header at Kitsap Fairgrounds Ballfields

Olympic 101 105 0 - 8 9 2

South Kitsap 000 000 2 - 2 6 2

Andrew Thatcher, Brent Pishu (6) and Aaron Smothers; Mark Fojtik and Jason Bernett. W—Fojtik (1-2).

Leading hitters — SK: Mike Cooper 2-3 (2RBI). Oly: Nick Bankus 2-3 (2RBI); Patrick Whalen 1-3 (2RBI); Bernett 1-4 (2B,2RBI); Brian Deszell 1-3 (RBI).

Olympic 6, South Kitsap 3

Game 2 of double-header

South Kitsap 000 102 0 - 3 9 0

Olympic 010 023 x - 6 8 0

Mitch Williams, Jason Read (6) and Aaron Smothers; Ronnie Purser and Jimmy Groat. W—Purser (1-3).

Leading hitters — SK: Kyle Pease 2-3; Zach Jacob 3-3; Josh Lounsberry 1-3 (2RBI). Oly: Jeremy Huffman 1-3 (RBI); Xavier Mancha 2-4; Bernett 1-1 (2RBI); Whalen 2-3 (2B,2RBI).

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