CK clinches No. 2 Bridge spot

The Central Kitsap softball team is back in familiar territory.

After failing to make the Narrows League playoffs since winning the NL title in 2002, the Cougars have clinched second place in the Bridge Division behind undefeated powerhouse South Kitsap, to whom the Cougars fell 7-0 on Monday.

The clinching victory came Wednesday as CK shut out Gig Harbor 4-0 at Linder Field to eliminate the Tides from playoff contention.

The win also locked up a 4A West Central District 3 berth for CK, who will enter the tourney no lower than a No. 4 seed.

“We’ll take at least one day off,” CK coach Bruce Welling said. “Mentally, we’re where we’re supposed to be.”

In the final home game for the Cougars, the squad’s seniors were recognized, including catcher Caitlin Argyle, who said she’s excited to have CK back in the playoffs.

“It’s good, it’s really exciting,” Argyle said. “It’s good to finally go.”

CK is one of the winningest softball programs in the state with a 24-11 state tournament record. The last time CK made the state tourney was 2000 however, when they finished third. CK won the state title in 1993.

The win put the Cougars at 14-4 this season (10-4 in league play). CK will open the Narrows League playoffs against Olympia, the Bay Division’s No. 2, at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Pendergast Field.

CK’s pitching combo of Tiffany Henry and Erika Quint combined to one-hit the Tides, with Henry working three innings and Quint closing out the game. That tandem is just one reason Welling feels good about where his team is at.

“We rotate (pitching) more than anyone,” Welling said. “So that worked out just as planned.”

 Olympic finished its season with an 8-0 loss to Port Angeles on Wednesday. The Trojans finished the season 1-16 (1-12 in league). Oly will return most of its squad next season however.

Tennis

Olympic’s Rebekah Kolstad, the No. 4 seed heading into the Narrows League Tournament preliminaries on Wednesday, took down CK’s Kai Fritchman 6-1, 6-0 to head into the final round Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the University of Puget Sound.

Oly coach Don Patraw said the No. 4 seed was a somewhat of a compromise for Oly. Gig Harbor’s Laura Finley, the No. 3 seed, fell to Kolstad at the SK Invite last month. But Finley beat Lya Lya Chrona of Bremerton, who beat Kolstad, and was considered closer with South Kitsap’s Charlotte Duren, the SK Invite winner.

“I think it came out fair for us and GH,” Patraw said. “What I’d like to see is those two in a match at league. That would tell the tale.”

For more preliminary results, see page A8.

Baseball

Despite getting swept by Port Angeles to end the season, the Cougars are still sitting in third place in the Bridge Division. The Cougs took on Stadium yesterday in the first round of the Narrows League tournament and if they lost, face the loser of the South Kitsap-Wilson contest today in a loser-out, winner-to-districts game at Heidelberg Park in Tacoma.

CK lost Monday to Port Angeles 11-8 at home. Grey Bayshore went 1-3 in the game, crushing a three-run home run. But PA scored 7 in the fourth to take and keep the lead.

 After Gig Harbor ended Olympic’s playoff hopes with a 4-0 win over the Trojans last Saturday, the Trojans returned the favor, topping the Tides 5-3 in 8 innings on Monday. Both teams needed to sweep to get into the playoffs. With the split, both are done for the season.

Olympic finished 8-10 (7-7) after recovering from a 1-6 start.

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