Wolves drop pair; tumble to fourth place in division

It wasn’t the kind of week anyone in the South Kitsap fastpitch family could have imagined. But in the course of four days, the Wolves lost two games and dropped from second place to fourth as the first half of the Narrows League Bridge Division play ended Thursday.

South started the week 3-0 in division play and in firm control of second place. But after beating Port Angeles on Monday, the Wolves dropped games to North Kitsap and Gig Harbor and begin the second half of play 4-5 overall and 4-3 in league play.

And most of it can be blamed on the Wolves’ sudden inability to hit.

“That’s not like us,” South coach Kathy Ballew said. “And you can’t do that against the good teams. We have to be a little bit more disciplined at the plate.”

Monday saw South pound out 12 hits against the Roughriders in a 9-5 win. Caty Lieseke went 3 for 4 with a double while Jessie Sannino went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and Kirstie Cosgrove had 2 RBI and a double.

But in its next two games, South could muster just four total hits and two runs, losing 4-1 to North on Wednesday and 5-1 to Gig Harbor on Thursday. South played Bremerton late Friday to start the second half.

But the North score may not hold up, as Ballew played the final inning under protest after she was not allowed to make a lineup change.

If the protest is upheld, the game will resume in the bottom of the seventh with South trailing, 4-1.

Despite the lack of an attack, South battled North to a scoreless tie entering the sixth inning. But the Vikings finally got to pitcher Kristin Stephens and scored four runs on four hits. South countered with a run in the bottom of the inning when Brianna McGinnis scored on a groundout by Kirstie Cosgrove.

“We’re a good hitting team,” Ballew said. “It’s not like North is unbeatable – we’ll beat them next time.”

South recorded just three hits against North pitcher Rachel Kramer, but more importantly, popped out to infielders eight times.

Whatever hopes the Wolves had of rebounding against Gig Harbor were quickly crushed as the Tides scored five times in the first two innings and were never challenged, as South managed just a single hit off the Tides’ Elsie Karscig.

South pitcher Kali Butler was tagged for five runs on seven hits and left the game after the second inning.

Stephens finished out allowing five hits but no runs to give the Wolves a chance.

But only Joy Thomas got a hit and the Wolves had just four base runners the entire game.

Gig Harbor 5, South Kitsap 1

Played April 20 at South Kitsap

Karscig and Stafford, Bryant (5); Kali Butler, Kristin Stephens (3) and Caty Lieseke. W-Karscig. L-Butler.

Leading hitters – GH: Karscig 2-4, Brophy 3-4 (RBI), Banner 2-4 (3RBI), Getty 2-4 (RBI). SK: Joy Thomas 1-3, Natlalie Peapea 0-2 (R).

North Kitsap 4, South Kitsap 1

Played April 19 at South Kitsap

Rachael Kramer and Melody Griffin; Stephens Kristin, Kali Butler (7) and Caty Lieseke. W — Kramer. L — Stephens (3-4).

Leading hitters — NK: Jordan Jewitt 2-4, Josie Ball (2b), Hannah McCluskey (2b,RBI), Lauren Romero (2b). SK: Natalie Peapea 1-3, Brianna McGinnis 1-3, Caty Lieseke 1-3.

South Kitsap 9, Port Angeles 5

Played April 17 at Port Angeles

Kristin Stephens, Kirstie Cosgrove (4) and Caty Lieseke; Elolson and Campbell.

W — Stephens (3-3). L — Eloson.

Leading hitters — SK: Lieseke 3-4 (2b,2RBI), Brittney Duryea (3b), Jesse Sannino 2-4. PA: Dimmel 3-3.

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