SK struggles with consistency

South Kitsap had just finished off a 16-hit spree and taken an 11-7 win at Olympic on Wednesday afternoon, yet Elton Goodwin was looking like a man in need of a good psychiatrist.

He had just watched his senior-laden squad conclude a slapstick performance with three seventh-inning errors that led to three Olympic runs. This was only 24 hours after the Wolves (6-3, 3-2 Narrows League) had committed three errors and squandered a 4-0 lead at home against Gig Harbor, losing 5-4 in eight innings.

“We’re not playing very well,” the Wolves’ veteran baseball coach said. “We struggle at times and make errors. The pitching has been there sometimes, but not like I wanted it to be. It’s been real frustrating.”

A day after ace Danny Knox struck out 11 and gave up just four hits in a hard-luck loss to Gig Harbor, senior right-hander Travis Vetters struggled with his control again. Vetters lasted just 2 1/3 innings at Oly, surrendering four hits and allowing five runners to reach base via walks or hit batsmen. Boya Quichocho relieved in the third after the Trojans (1-3 Narrows, 2-8 overall) had scored four runs to tie the game at 4-4.

Quichocho was a conspicuous bright spot for South, striking out six and holding Olympic hitless until the seventh.

Of Vetters, a disappointed Goodwin said, “I’m not going to throw him anymore.”

On the positive side, the Wolves made life miserable for Oly starter Zach Curry. South collected all 16 of its hits against Curry, a junior right-hander who stayed around until the seventh, when he was relieved by Reid Kessler.

Josh Showers led the outburst, going 4-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored. Andy Sund was 2-4 with a home run and two RBI. Also fueling the offense were Quichocho (2-5 and triple), Brandon Nickerson (2-5, a double, 3 RBI) Phil Thomas (3-4, two doubles and 2 (RBI) and Tyler Mayfield (2-5, 3 stolen bases).

But none of those statistics were enough to allay the worries troubling Goodwin, who entered the year expecting this team to make a run at his third state title.

“Our expectations were so much higher than what these guys are playing right now,” Goodwin said. “I‘m not going to sell them short and I’m not going to give up on them. I love these guys, and there is a lot of talent on this team.

“I don’t know what it is. I just can’t put my thumb on it. It’s almost like a team I had in ’93, a team that’s waiting to lose. When I think of my team as a team that’s going to destroy people ... we’re not doing that.”

Against Gig Harbor on Tuesday, South broke out to a 4-0 lead in a second inning highlighted by Josh Meeker’s triple and Mayfield’s two-run single.

Outside of Knox’s pitching performance, not much good happened the rest of the way for the Wolves.

“It’s been real frustrating,” Goodwin said. “This group is such a neat group of kids. They’re smart and there are some athletes in this group. But there’s no chemistry.”

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