Tuesday, March 25 brought substantial sun counting down to Central Kitsap’s varsity baseball game against Mount Tahoma High School. At 6:28 p.m., CKHS varsity baseball pitcher Grant Lin, opened the game on a first pitch strike.

Through four innings, Lin allowed just one earned run on two hits, and one walk while gaining eight strikeouts in only 59 pitches before handing the ball off in the fifth inning. An error at the start of the first inning allowed Mount Tahoma High School to steal second base.

After giving up a run in the first inning to Mount Tahoma High School on an RBI double (Runs-Batted-In refers to a player putting the ball in play, which allows any player to score within that play), he settled in, striking out the side in the second inning and retiring the last five batters he faced.

Shortly following a quiet second inning for both teams, the game turned during the end of the third inning when Central Kitsap broke open a 1-1 tie with an offensive outburst. After a pair of stolen bases put runners in scoring position, a two-run double (a player gets a double that allows two players on base to score) sparked a flurry of runs fueled by defensive errors and timely hits. 

Throughout the third inning, Mount Tahoma High School did not make a pitching change and had only one mound-visit during this time.

Lin, who also contributed at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance, four stolen bases, and a walk, that he adjusted after striking out in his first at-bat.

“I saw [Mount Tahoma High School’s pitcher] had a curveball, but he was really relying on his fastball, so I was just waiting for that to take advantage,” Lin said.

A bases-clearing triple, a sacrifice fly (a ball that results in an out towards the outfield, allowing a runner to score), and another bases-clearing triple extended Central Kitsap High School’s lead. By the end of the third inning, Central Kitsap High School had sent 18 batters to the plate, racking up nine base hits and 14 runs.

“We just had better approaches at the plate,” CKHS varsity baseball catcher Riley Kolda said. “Putting balls in play, letting [Mount Tahoma High School] make errors, and just having clean play for us.”

Mount Tahoma High School showed some offensive potential in the fifth inning, scoring an additional 2 runs after Central Kitsap High School’s pitching change. Ending the inning on a strikeout, Mount Tahoma High School exercised the mercy rule (if a team is up 10 or more runs by the fifth inning, the game ends) on a 16-3 game.

The loss brought Mount Tahoma High School to their seventh consecutive loss on the road dating back to last season. Mount Tahoma High School drops to a 1-3 record while Central Kitsap High School improves 3-3.