Wolves finish perfect

The easy part’s over. Now the fun part begins.

Amanda Galla pitched a three-hitter on Thursday afternoon as South Kitsap capped off a perfect regular season with an 18-0 win over Bremerton. The victory moved the Wolves to 18-0 on the year and 14-0 in Narrows League Bridge Division play.

South had beaten Central Kitsap 7-0 earlier in the week behind another strong outing from Brittany Miller, who pitched the entire game with a bruised right hand.

“It’s nice to have that done. It was one of our goals,” Miller said of the undefeated regular season. “We wanted to finish strong. Now we have to take it to the next level and make sure we continue to play as a team.”

The next level begins Thursday in the Narrows League Tournament at Pendergast Field in Bremerton. The Wolves will face Wilson, winners of the Bay Division with 16-1, 13-1 record, at 5 p.m. The winner of that game advances to the West-Central District Tournament, May 27-28, as a No. 1 seed while the loser goes as a No. 2 seed.

“That’s what they want to focus on. The ultimate goal, really,” coach Kathy Ballew said. “It gives them confidence because they already know they’ve done something no other team has done at South.”

And Ballew said even though this team is the only SK fastpitch team to end the regular season unbeaten, it’s not going to be hard to put it behind them and move on.

“With this group, you know what, not hard at all,” Ballew said. “They’re not one to keep patting themselves on the back and start settling. They know what’s next.”

The Wolves put themselves in position for perfection behind Miller’s strong outing on Monday. The senior pitcher took a ball off her pitching hand during her first at bat but decided to stay in the game anyway. Seven innings later, Miller had run her season record to 11-0 after tossing a four-hitter while striking out eight.

Miller said it hurt but she was determined to finish out the game. A knot on the back of her hand swelled up to the size of a golf ball during the game but she finished nonetheless.

Galla cruised to her sixth win of the year Thursday, allowing three hits while striking out four in a game called after four innings because of the score.

Stephanie Mott, Jievielyn Howard and Chantal Boddie all drove in three runs against Bremerton.

“The Bridge side of our league is tough,” Ballew said. “We’ve had to play well to do as well as we have.

“For now, we are sitting really good,” Ballew said. “We’ve accomplished it, but now we’re starting over.”

South Kitsap 18,

Bremerton 0 (4)

Played May 12 at Bremerton

Amanda Galla and Caty Lieseke; Adams and Haggie.

Leading hitters-SK: Amanda Galla 1-3 (2R), Stephanie Mott 3-3 (3RBI), Jievielyn Howard 2-4 (3R,3RBI), Chantal Boddie 2-3 (2R,3RBI).

South Kitsap 7,

Central Kitsap 0

Played May 10 at Linder Field

Brittany Miller and Caty Lieseke; Erika Quint, Tiffany Henry (6) and Argyle. W-Miller (11-0). L-Quint.

Leading hitters- SK: Stephanie Mott 3-4 (2B2R), Jievielyn Howard 2-2, Caty Lieseke 2-3 (RBI), Amanda Galla 2-4. CK: Argyle 1-3

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