Big inning not big enough

Seventh-inning

runs help lift Bellarmine Prep past Wolves.

The South Kitsap High School fastpitch team planned to celebrate Senior Day after Friday’s home finale.

But the party on the field ended up being thrown by Bellarmine Prep.

The Lions scored two runs to go ahead for good in the sixth inning of a 10-9 win in Narrows League play.

South (8-7 overall, 7-7 league), which finished second in the Bridge Division, plays Bay Division No. 2 Central Kitsap at 3:30 p.m. on Friday in the league tournament.

Lynsey Moroz reached first base in the sixth for Bellarmine Prep (9-8, 8-6) on a throwing error by the shortstop. Alex Pollastro followed with an RBI double to tie the game.

The following hitter grounded out, which would’ve ended the inning if the error hadn’t occurred. Instead, Lauren Schilter hit the go-ahead single to score Pollastro.

“I would love to get rid of the errors and just put people out,” said South coach Kathy Ballew, whose team committed six errors. “Mentally, I think we have some room to grow that way.”

Ballew did see some maturity in her team, though. Bellarmine Prep broke a 2-all tie in the fourth inning with six runs and Lions’ starting pitcher Anna Olson got three groundouts in four at-bats in the bottom half of the inning.

But South wasn’t quite finished. Holly Lider led off the fifth with a single up the middle and Monique Morey, who went 2 for 4, followed with a double.

Lider then stole home when the catcher failed to call a timeout as she met with the pitcher. Allyson Johnson and Trish Tremper later had consecutive singles and both scored with two outs when Alexis O’Dell tripled to center field.

O’Dell, who had two triples, scored on the play when the center fielder bobbled the ball and contested that it was an inside-the-park home run.

“I think I had all four bases,” O’Dell said. “That was so home run.”

Pinch-hitter Lauren Dorsey singled and scored during the ensuing at-bat on a single by Shiloah Soete-Riedel.

The Wolves took a 9-8 lead when Lider singled for the second time in the inning to score Soete-Riedel.

“I feel good about the fight in us to battle,” Ballew said. “It showed a little gut-check and that’s what I’ve wanted to see in them. Sometimes we’ve laid down.”

The road won’t get any easier for the Wolves, who Ballew said haven’t developed consistency yet.

Central won the previous meeting between the schools 10-5 on April 21.

The winner claims the No. 3 seed at the West Central District Tournament, while the loser claims the fourth spot.

Contact Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Chris Chancellor at cchancellor@portorchardindependent.com or (360) 876-4414.

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