BlueJackets avoid sweep to Bend

A win and two losses.

The Kitsap BlueJackets didn't get the series win they had hoped for entering their 2009 home-opening series against the Bend Elks, losing two of three, but they came out of the weekend in a four-way tie for first place in the West Coast League (WCL) West Division.

After consecutive lopsided losses Friday (11-3) and Saturday (8-3), the Jackets secured their first home-victory of the season with a 9-5 triumph Sunday at Lobe Field at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds.

Opening night on Friday wasn't the party the Jackets (3-3) had envisioned; Bend scored three runs in the top of the sixth and five more in the seventh to break open what had been a close game — and 3-2 Jackets lead — through five.

Trey Watt started the game, but lasted just three innings after struggling with his command the entire way. He escaped jams in the first, second and third, allowing only two runs, but yielded seven hits and a walk without notching a strikeout.

Steven Singer pitched scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, allowing the Jackets to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead, but he was yanked in favor of Brian Denneny, who allowed three runs on two hits in sixth. James Douglas was then beat up for five runs on five hits in the seventh.

On Saturday, Bend scored three runs in the top of the first to build what proved to be a game-deciding lead. The Jackets scored once in both the eighth and ninth to cut the lead from 8-1 to the final of 8-3.

But things turned around in the series-finale Sunday, with the Jackets tripling their run total from the previous two games to salvage a win and improve to .500 overall.

The team begins a three-game series at home against defending West Division champion Corvallis (3-3) at 7:05 p.m. Monday. The University of Washington's Adrian Gomez will make his first start of the season for Kitsap. The series continues at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday and at the same time Wednesday. All games are at Lobe Field.

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