Central Kitsap High School pulled away with a home win against Bellarmine Preparatory High School with a final score of 3-1 this Tuesday, April 1. Varsity baseball pitcher Tristan Short took the mound in the final inning to strike out the Bellarmine batter for the final out of the first game.
In the first three innings, starting pitcher Grant Lin struggled slightly to locate the strike zone for each individual batter, giving up three hits, two walks, and one run batted in. Lin also gave up a stolen base after throwing a wild pitch to catcher Riley Kolda. However, Lin started gaining momentum in the latter half of his five-inning stint, striking out three batters.
“I need to find a good way to locate the zone better for each batter and not just throw it in the general area,” Lin said. “I just want to do better at commanding the strike zone better and truly get the ball to be where I want. Annoying, but [a] lesson for next time.”
On the other side of the inning, Central Kitsap racked up hits and runs frequently. In the second inning alone, there were four hits and a stolen home plate by Short to even the score to 1-1. Bellarmine was able to pick up some momentum in the third inning and recorded a one-two-three inning against Central Kitsap, who recorded no hits for that inning.
Later in the game, CK was able to gain the upper hand against Bellarmine by capitalizing on some of their opponent’s unruly pitches, leading to Central Kitsap’s runners scoring multiple times.
“We took advantage of some of the wild pitches,” Head Coach Justin Brien said. “We scored two runs off of their wild pitches along with getting on base and getting some guys in scoring position.”
Pitching proves crucial in close games like this, meaning that a good pitch arsenal is essential to securing a victory. A pitcher can use a variety of different pitches to try and trick the batter into swinging or not swinging. Pitchers like Lin have refined their arsenal to secure the outcome they want.
“I’m fastball-reliant,” Lin said. “I use my fastball to start off, then I usually finish a guy off with my change-up.”
After tonight’s victory, Central Kitsap High School’s varsity baseball team has a record of five wins, four losses, and one tie.
