Baker throws three-hitter, knocks out two homers in victory.
POULSBO – Bainbridge pitcher Haylee Baker was a one-woman wrecking machine Thursday.
The sophomore went 2 for 4 with two home runs and threw a complete game three-hitter as the Spartans defeated North Kitsap 6-0 at NK High School.
The game was moved to North because of the rains that left Bainbridge’s field unplayable.
Baker led off the first and fifth innings with her homers – both to left field – and held the Vikings to no runs on one walk, three hits and 10 strikeouts for her second win of the year.
“Haylee’s impressive every day,” head coach Liz McCloskey said. “She pitched a great game. She’s improved 100 percent – her pitching has been amazing.
“I think she’s been waiting for those two hits (for home runs) to come to her.”
After Baker’s home run in the first, Cara Thompson and Chelsie Kakela both singled and eventually came around to score.
In the fifth, the Spartans led off with four straight hits on four consecutive pitches – Baker’s second home run of the game, Thompson’s double, Kakela’s single and Lindsay Willman’s double – to score two more runs.
Willman drove in Kakela with a base hit in the seventh.
Baker kept North off balance for most of the game.
When she did get into a bit of trouble in the seventh, Thompson helped her out by tagging the runner from second with a nice fake throw to third.
The Spartans head into the break undefeated at 8-0, which is exciting for McCloskey.
“These kids are playing good softball,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve seen the kids hit the ball this hard.
“The strength they’ve gained and the work they’ve done in the offseason has been good for all of them, especially my one through five hitters.”
Though she wouldn’t mind if the team lost a game at some point – (“It would teach them a good lesson,” she said) – she still feels they can go undefeated the rest of the way through their big home and home series with Holy Names at the end of April.
“I truly believe we’re the best team in the Metro League,” McCloskey said.
Bainbridge will take off for spring break, then host Seattle Prep April 9.
Kickers beat CK in big win
Though their best player in Dylan Tucker-Ganges left, the Bainbridge boys soccer team hasn’t missed a beat.
The Spartans defeated Olympic 2-0 last Saturday on goals by Charlie Von Reis and Jimmy Baggett, then beat Lakeside 4-0 on goals by Max Aussendorf, Colin Gremse, Kenji Queva, and Dana Olsen.
But the biggest win so far came Thursday night in a 2-0 blanking of Central Kitsap.
The Cougars had some scoring opportunities on several corner kicks but were turned away.
The Spartans put forth some pressure, but it soon turned into a midfield game for several minutes.
With nine minutes left to go in the half, the CK goalkeeper got off a bad kick, with several Spartans racing in to take advantage and eventually score.
But the goal was waved off for an undetermined reason while the Cougars lost a player to a leg injury.
In the second half, the Spartans finally broke through in the 45th minute when Sam McAllister got past a CK defender and put a shot in that the goalie couldn’t get his hands on.
In the 61st minute, the Spartans scored again when Clay Goodhue put a corner kick right on the money to McAllister, who put it in for his second score of the game.
The Cougars had a few scoring opportunities but the shots that had a chance, goalie Alex Oeschli was able to deflect them away.
The Bainbridge defense did the rest, clearing balls and keeping the CK offense off balance.
“This is a great team,” head coach George Vukic said of CK. “They controlled the first half, but the second half was more ours.”
Bainbridge (2-0, 5-0-2) will take spring break off, then host Seattle Prep April 9.
Tracksters break records
At the Bremerton Relays last weekend, the Bainbridge track team posted state record times.
The boys’ 4×400 relay of Austin Hallett, Anthony Carter, Ian Shiach and Stephen Vassiliadis took first with a time of 3:29.32 – a new event record and the fastest time in the state.
The girls’ 4×400 relay team of Madeline Sheldon, Lizzy Brackett, Sylvia Stellmacher and Kelly Crane won with a time of 4:10.2
For the 1200 sprint medley relay, the boys (with Kyle Szarzynski in place of Vassiliadis) won with a time of 2:38.21.
The girls’ sprint medley relay team of Sheldon, Brackett, Stellmacher and Crane won with a time of 3:08.25.
Emily Farrar won the 200 meter steeplechase with a time of 7:38.98.
Cheyne Clark won the pole vault with a mark of 14 feet even.
The next home meet for Bainbridge is April 17 versus Chief Sealth.
BIGC off to state, sectionals
The Bainbridge Island Girls Gymnastics Club competed in its final meet of the season March 16 at Black Hills Gymnastics in Lacey.
At level 8, Kathleen Callahan had an overall score of 33.4 and Annie Zuckerman finished with a 33.2.
Both head to the level 8 state championships in Auburn March 29-April 1 at Mt. View High School.
At level 6, Marielle Summers finished fourth in the all around for her age group, with a score of 31.7. Summers also finished third on bar with a 8.075.
Chloe Seferos placed third in her age group on floor with a score of 8.45. Seferos had an all around score of 33.525.
Sarah Rice finished the day with a 32.125 and Miller Shor scored a 29.25.
All the level 6 team members, along with the level 4 team of Jianna Kaufman, Mia Bruzzo and Morgan Dierickx, will head to Federal Way for the sectional championships April 12-13.
