Fastpitchers earn two Ws

The Bainbridge High School fastpitch team has not only gotten into the win column, they’re on a winning streak.

After an exciting 10-9, extra-inning win over the Lakeside Lions on Wednesday, they destroyed the Rainier Beach Vikings 16-1 in four innings at Rainier Beach High School the next afternoon.

The wins put Bainbridge in first place in the Metro League Mountain Division through this week’s play.

Sophomore Kelcee Azure pitched in place of usual starter Karen Robinson, who was away on a trip to Colorado. Azure allowed just five hits by the Vikings.

The Spartans scored nine runs in the first inning, punctuated by Tabitha Mabrey’s three-run triple.

She finished with four RBI, as did third baseman Marci Morford, who also hit a triple.

Shortstop Amanda Szarzynski went 2-for-2 with two RBI, and scored twice.

The blowout was a relief from Wednesday’s game, a tense back-and-forth affair that saw both teams get clutch hits.

Two umpire calls in Bainbridge’s favor scored one run and prevented another big inning by Lakeside; the Spartans were also helped along by eight errors by the Lion defense.

The Spartans gave up two runs in the first inning, then came back to score five in the second, highlighted by a two-run single by Szarzy­nski.

Both teams scored twice in the fourth, then Lakeside scored four times in the fifth as Robinson struggled with her control.

Bain­bridge tied the game up in the fifth when second baseman Anna Lyons scored thanks to interference from the Lakeside shortstop as she was fielding a ground ball from Mabrey.

Lakeside had a chance to score in the sixth, but the Lions runner was called out for interference as she ran into Morford while she was fielding a grounder.

Both teams went scoreless in the seventh, which meant the international tiebreaker went into effect. Under that rule, the last batter to make an out the previous inning is placed on second in the next inning.

Lakeside scored their runner in the top of the eighth, and then in the bottom of the eighth Bainbridge worked the bases full, thanks to infield singles by junior Trinitie Vance and Lyons.

Azure then lined the first pitch she saw over a drawn-in defense to score Szarzynski and leftfielder Chelsea Hansen, giving the team their first win of the season.

Coach Liz McCloskey and assistant coach Katie Leigh were happy their squad got the victory in the nerve-wracking contest.

“They did everything right,” McCloskey said. “They made a couple mistakes, but they said, ‘OK, we’re doing this.’ They held their composure really well.”

“(It’s) that game intensity that really helped them out,” said Leigh. “They produced hit after hit after hit, and they were awesome.”

Robinson, who was pitching with a blister on her finger, struck out seven.

After yesterday’s game against Lakeside, the Spartans (2-1, 2-2) won’t play again until April 13, when they face Olympic at Linder Field.

– John Becerra, Jr.

Boys take gold; silver for girls

So far, so good for the BHS track and field team.

The boys finished first in a four-way meet against Lakeside, Chief Sealth and Nathan Hale on Thursday, beating out the Raiders by three points for the top spot.

The girls finished second, missing first by just three points to Lakeside.

Senior Bryan Jacobsen finished first in the long jump with a mark of 20 feet, 5 inches, while senior Angelo Ritualo finished first in the triple jump with a winning jump of 39 feet, 4 inches.

Ritualo also finished first in the 100 with a time of 11.5 seconds.

Other first place finishers for the Spartans include Tyler Smith in the 200 with a time of 23.9 seconds; Robin Mumm in the 400 with a time of 56.2; and Bevan Taylor, who finished first in the 1600 and the 3200 with times of 4:44 and 10:33.4, respectively.

Bainbridge also finished first in the 400 relay with a time of 45.4 seconds.

First-place finishers for the girls include Geneva Pritchett in the 400 with a time of 1:02.8 and Caroline Johnson in the 1600 and 3200 with times of 5:31.4 and 11:24.2, respectively.

The Bainbridge girls also finished first in the 1600 relay with a time of 4:21.3.

The next meet for the Spartans will be April 14 against Seattle Prep and Bishop Blanchet at West Seattle Stadium. The meet time will be 3:30 p.m.

– John Becerra, Jr.

Peach wins it with sacrifice

The Spartan baseball team is starting to put it all together.

Down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans scored three times to defeat the Lakeside Lions 4-3 for their third straight victory Wednesday, keeping them atop the Metro League Mountain Division.

“We came out a little flat,” head coach Jayson Gore said of the home contest. “Their pitcher (Ian Bollinger) did a great job in mixing up his pitches, getting ahead in the count and using his defense, but we made great adjustments at the dish with our two strike approach.

“We started putting the ball in play in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings and basically, we got some things to bounce our way.”

Ranger Sciacca got the start for the Spartans, but struggled with his control early.

The Lions scored in the first inning on an RBI single by second baseman Owen Bennion.

They could have scored two more on an apparent home run by shortstop Andrew Doggett, but the hit was ruled a ground-rule double.

After another RBI single by the Lions’ Doggett in the third inning, the Spartans got on the board on an RBI single by second baseman Matt Frazee.

Bainbridge couldn’t muster any more runs, and the game turned into a pitcher’s battle until the seventh when they rallied in their last at bat.

Right­fielder Blake Jensen started the comeback by beating out a ground ball.

Left­fielder David Lantz got aboard as he was hit in the helmet by a pitch, and first baseman Josh Truan then singled, scoring Jensen.

Catcher Michael Heald hit a deep ground ball to Doggett who promptly threw home, but Lantz beat the throw to tie the game.

John Williams tried to advance Truan and Heald with a sacrifice bunt down the first base line, but Bennion was late in getting over to first to cover the bag and Williams was safe, loading the bases.

Spartan shortstop Zach Peach then hit the first pitch he saw into right center field for a sacrifice fly, scoring pinch-runner JK Spencer to win the game.

“We didn’t put the ball in play early, and it was costly,” Gore said. “Our backs were against the wall, but I’m really proud of these guys and everyone really stepped up.”

Sciacca got the win for the Spartans, going four innings and giving up only three hits and walking two and striking out four.

Jordan Schager came on in relief and pitched three scoreless innings, striking out one and walking none.

Bainbridge (2-0, 3-1) played Rainier Beach Thursday in a makeup game already called twice due to rain, but this one was called on account of darkness, and no score was available at press time.

After yesterday’s game at Lakeside, they will not play again until April 8 against Olympic at Central Kitsap High School.

The Spartans will be without sophomore pitcher Robbie Stevenson, who is out with a broken ankle. He will be in a boot for three weeks.

– John Becerra, Jr.