“The Bainbridge fastpitch team dug itself a three-run hole against North Kitsap Friday, en route to a 4-0 defeat in their first action in nearly a week and a half.The first inning was bad, said coach Steve Nelson. Then we settled down and played good ball.Nelson is familiar with most of the Viking players because of their mutual affiliation with the Kitsap Angels, an elite fastpitch team that also includes several Spartans. So he knew his team would have to play a solid game to compete and was heartened by their defense after that inning.Pitcher Brooke Hilton struck out six and Bainbridge recorded four 1-2-3 innings. Right fielder Chelsea Magraw and catcher Amanda Perna combined for the defensive play of the game in the fifth inning when the Vikings loaded the bases with none out. The next batter hit a sharp single to right to plate the runner on third. But Magraw’s throw home and Perna’s twisting tag cut down the runner trying to score from second, and helped the Spartans get out of the inning.Third baseman Angie Rapada also made a nice play in the second, running down a popup in foul territory as she crashed against the screen.Nelson was encouraged by the team’s hitting, as Spartan hitters struck out just four times while recording five hits.Bainbridge players had the two longest balls of the game – Ashley Anderson’s line drive double into the left centerfield gap in the sixth and Hilton’s long fly an inning later that the North Kitsap centerfielder was able to run down.The Spartans had at least one baserunner in every inning. Their best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth when Hilton led off with a walk and Caiti Kruse – returning to action after a slow-to-heal wrist injury suffered during volleyball season – legged out a bunt to put runners on first and second. After a strikeout, they advanced on a groundout but were stranded.The Spartans host Holy Names Friday, but Nelson expressed uncertainty that the game would be played because of spring break player absences.200 medley takes silverThe 10-and-under Bainbridge Island Swim Club girls’ 200 medley relay team finished second in the Northwest Section Short Course Age Group Swim Meet, March 15-18 at the King County Aquatic Center.Keisha Brownell (back), Anna Pollock (breast), India Wade (fly) and Tessa Griffin (free) clocked 2:17.13 to set a BISC record in competition with swimmers from Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana. More than 1,400 swimmers participated.The same four girls also clocked 2:02.48 in the 200 free relay for fourth place and another BISC record.In individual events, Wade established a team record in the 200 free with a sixth place 2:19.54. She also placed fourth in the 50 fly (32.55), tenth in the 100 fly (1:15.05), seventh in the 100 IM (1:14.58) and sixth in the 200 IM (2:38.71). Griffin was fifth in the 50 breast with a team record 37.56, eighth in the 50 free (29.27) and swam a personal best in the 100 breast (1:25.72).Pollock had a personal best swim of 1:26.80 in the 100 breast.Several other BISC swimmers recorded notable times:* Joy Miller (15-18 age group) personal best 1:01.94 in the 100 fly.* Candace Rodda (15-18) personal best in the 50 free (25.78).* Rokeda Brownell (26.34) and Leslie Wukstich (26.49) also swam the 15-18 50 free.* 400 medley relay of Brownell, Rodda, Miller and Wukstich had a best time of 4:21.44.* Jake Santelli (11-13) personal best in the 200 back (2:20.70). He also recorded 57.39 (100 free) and 2:28.30 (200 IM).* Jeffrey Reeves (12) swam best times in the 100 free (1:00.67), 200 free (2:12.45) and 500 free (5:47.56). He also swam the 50 free in 27.34 50.* Jake Christensen (14) personal best in 50 free (24.05). He also swam 1:01.04 in the 100 back.* Nick Rodda (15-18) personal best in the 50 free (24.32).Hardballers down SequimThe baseball team beat Sequim 4-3 Friday, but for the second day in a row had to escape a seventh-inning jam for the win.Spartan pitcher Chris Shaffer cruised through six innings, giving up just a first inning run. But he opened the seventh by hitting the leadoff batter, then gave up a single and walk to load the bases with nobody out.The next batter hit a comebacker to Shaffer that he turned into a forceout at home. But a passed ball resulted in a run and put runners on second and third. A long fly to centerfielder Simon Pollack brought home the second run of the inning and cut the Spartan lead to one.The runner on second broke too early for third and when the Spartans threw to second and tagged the base on the appeal play, the umpire called him out and the game was over.It was a great baseball game, said coach Mike Reese. The kids battled on both sides. Defensively, we played well with just one error.The Spartans scored twice in the first inning as Dustin Lounsberry and Pat Crowthers hit back-to-back doubles. Crowthers stole third and came home on Pat Fiander’s single up the middle.His teammates gave Shaffer some breathing room in the sixth when Fiander reached on an error, and stole second. Matt Luria doubled him home, and P. J. Holton’s single plated Luria.Shaffer struck out eight Wolves, and the Spartans pounded out nine hits. Crowthers had a triple and double, while Pollack also had two hits including a double.We swung the bat well when we were patient, said Reese. I was impressed with our clutch hitting. The team notched three RBIs with runners in scoring position, two of those with two outs.With their fourth straight win, the Spartans raised their season record to 5-3. They travel to Selah for a pair of games on Monday and Tuesday.Trackers take two meetsThe boys and girls track teams both won in a triangular meet with Sequim and Klahowya on Thursday. The boys scored 81.5 to Klahowya’s 54 and Sequim’s 50.5, while the girls edged Sequim 77 to 72 as Klahowya was well back with 35 .Overall, I was pleased with our performances, said coach Andy Grimm. We recorded good times in addition to winning first places. We’re right where we want to be.Luke Preble was the individual standout for the boys, winning the 100 meters in 11.06 and the 200 in 22.88, as well as anchoring both victorious relay teams, the 4×100 (00:46.18) and 4×400 (3:42.2).The Spartans’ strong distance corps swept their respective races: Andy Reese (2:09.11) edged teammate Colin Kuester (2:09.90) in the 800, Paul Lang won the 1600 in 4:50.3, and Evan Galloway had a fine early season 10:02.2 in the 3200.Tim Freeman took the 400 meters in 53.75 as the Spartans won all the non-hurdles races. Liam Corey led a 1-2-3 sweep of the high jump as he cleared 5-10. Joey Mankes – hobbled by a sore ankle and the flu – cleared 5-6 while Seth Jacobson cleared 5-4. Corey also placed second in the long jump with a distance of 18-1 1/2 which Grimm termed pure athleticism. Mankes was third in the triple jump with 38-4 3/4 and fourth in the pole vault at 9-6, while Jacobson had fourths in the 400 (56.92) and long jump (16-2 1/4).Matt Wauters was the top thrower with second place in the javelin (112-8), while Jarred Hinton was third in the discus, though his 115-0 was less than two feet from first.The girls won eight of 11 running events and freshman Alice Russell won two field events to key the narrow win over Sequim despite the absence of Laura Bartunek and Melissa Borgen. Borgen suffered a knee injury requiring stitches after being kicked by a horse, but Grimm expects her back after spring break.Crisma Biggs won the 100 high hurdles in 16.8 and was third in the long jump (14-4 1/2). Jessica Borgen (28.55) took the 200 and was a close second in the 100 (13.74 to 13.67). Sushi Speidel was third on both races, clocking 13.94 and 29.36.Veronica Ivey won the 800 in 2:50.3 and clocked a 63-second 400 meters to finish second to her sister Rebecca, who ran 61. Sarah Grue won the 1600 in 5:51.0. And Bainbridge swept all three relays.The 4×200 relay of Kari Jensen, Biggs, Speidel and Borgen which clocked 1:50.0, just three seconds off the school record.Russell threw the shot 32-5 1/2, the discus 95-7 and was second in the javelin at 82-1.The team hosts Olympic and Port Townsend in a triangular meet on April 12. Hoops coach Eller resignsBoys basketball coach Jeff Eller announced his resignation at Thursday’s school board meeting.I actually made the decision to resign last summer, Eller said. I want to spend more time with my kids, and maybe move to Eastern Washington to be closer to my family.He and his wife Lori, a teacher at Woodward, have submitted applications to teach elsewhere.But if nothing happens, we’ll be happy to end up here, he said.Athletic Director Neal White hopes to have a replacement by the end of the school year, stressing the importance of having a coach who’s also a teacher in the building. Eller’s assistants Adam Ward and Jake Haley have declined, but White said he’s already received interest from other candidates who learned of Eller’s departure via the Internet. Other items…Hole in one: Mike Gearheard of Bainbridge scored his first hole-in-one in a 30-year golfing career when he aced the 115-yard, par-3 14th hole at Gold Mountain on Friday. JV tennis: The JV tennis team is 2-0 for the season after beating North Kitsap last Thursday. Tessa Quigley (6-1, 6-2) and Amanda Johncock (6-3, 6-1) won easily in girls’ singles.Alex Riede/Jacob Pauli won mixed doubles (6-1, 6-1), Suzanne Fossum/Colie Belieu took girls doubles (6-1, 6-1) and Danny Steyer/ Tyler Johnson scored a hard-earned boys doubles win (4-6, 6-4, 7-6).JV lacrosse: The girls JV lacrosse team won twice last week, edging Holy Names 7-5 on Thursday after routing Mercer Island 13-2 the previous day. Holy Names went up quickly 2-0, but the Spartans tied the game at halftime. They went on a 5-0 run in the second half before Holy Names made a strong surge at the end.Jen Utley led Bainbridge with three goals and Mari Yeckel added two. Goalkeeper Amanda McNeil had 6 saves. Against Mercer Island, Utley had four goals, Yeckel three and Eliza Davison two. “