SK gets wakeup call in first loss

Jim Fairweather could just feel this coming.

Even though the South Kitsap Wolves’ baseball team entered this week’s two-game Narrows League Bridge Division series with Olympic with a perfect 7-0 record (3-0 in league play), the feeling was there.

Even though the Wolves were ranked No. 9 in the state and had won six of their seven games by the 10-run mercy rule, he couldn’t shake the feeling.

The second-year coach’s feeling came to full tuition Wednesday as the Trojans followed the pitching of Ronnie Purser and the timely hitting of Patrick Whalen to a 7-3 win in Port Orchard, their first of the year. But the Wolves rebounded Thursday to salvage the series with a thrilling 7-6, 11-inning win in Silverdale.

The Wolves now stand at 8-1 overall and 4-1 in league play with a two-game series with Central Kitsap on slate next week.

“They knocked us down but we got back up,” Fairweather said after Thursday's game. “I am really happy for the guys.”

The Wolves overcame a 3-1, sixth-inning deficit to tie the game on RBI singles by Zach Jacob and Dan Miller. After taking a 5-3 lead in the 10th, only to watch Olympic come back to tie the score, South went up 7-5 in the 11th and held on for the win.

Dan Dillard got the win in relief, his first of the year, thanks in part to two great defensive plays by Jacob and Andy Hultz.

Kyle Pease started the game for the Wolves and went pitch-for-pitch with Olympic’s Nick Bankus, who was a surprise starter after missing the first game of the series. Pease allowed three runs on six hits.

“Kyle did a monster job,” Fairweather said. “He came up huge for us.”

The win was more than huge for the Wolves after Wednesday’s loss.

“We just didn’t come to play,” Fairweather said. “It was evident (Tuesday) night. I gave them a little speech about how they practice and how they go about their business. And basically … I told them I could see this coming.

“Because they think they are OK,” Fairweather said. “And doing what they are doing is OK. And it showed (Wednesday).”

“It could be that this is a good thing, I’m hoping it is,” Fairweather said. “I’m hoping that this will make a little bit more believers out of them in what we teach around here. And that we’ll be able to bounce back from this.”

“I thought Hudson did a nice job, threw a nice game,” Fairweather said. “He did a nice job, he threw over a 100 pitches. I think Pease did a nice job too. He got the ball down and got them out, we just didn’t back him up.”

“We just didn’t cash in,” Fairweather said. “We didn’t get guys on and we did cash in. Their little lefty (Purser) was throwing the ball outside and had a few of us on our front foot. We did hit the ball solid at times and right to people.”

South opens a two-game series with Central Kitsap Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. at the SK field. The Wolves will head to Silverdale Wednesday for the second game.

Olympic 7, South Kitsap 3

Ronnie Purser and Jake Garland; Matt Hudson, Kyle Pease (6) and Aaron Smothers. W-Purser. L-

Leading hitters: O: Patrick Whalen 2-4 (2B,3RBI); Eddy Storms 2-4; Jason Bernett 1-3 (RBI); John Taylor 1-3 (RBI). SK: Zach Jacob 4-4 (2 2B); Pease 2-3 (RBI).

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