FASTPITCH: Kentridge upends Kentlake, 2-1

The Kentridge High fastpitch team has been waiting for a break all season long.

Tuesday afternoon, the Chargers finally received one against longtime rival Kentlake.

Tied 1-1 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Kentridge junior Aubree Mayhew came home on a wild pitch, giving the Chargers just enough breathing room to overcome the Falcons 2-1 in a South Puget Sound League North Division game. Mayhew, who collected two singles in the game, reached base on a walk, advanced to second on a bunt and moved to third on a fielder’s choice.

Nicknamed “Lightning McQueen” by her teammates, Mayhew didn’t hesitate to go for home when Kentlake ace Nicole Weber uncorked a high-and-outside fastball. The ball bounced around the backstop, allowing Mayhew to score the winning run.

“I was gone. We need one run to win and with two outs, you’ve got to get the run no matter what,” said Mayhew, who also made a couple of dazzling plays on defense at first base, including a critical inning-ending double play in the sixth. “Lightning McQueen is my nickname on the team, but I feel like that’s just a joke.”

Tuesday’s performance, however, was no joke. In fact, it was a critical win for the Chargers (4-6 in league), who remain very much in the hunt for one of the SPSL North’s five playoff berths. With the win, Kentridge remains a game behind Tahoma and Auburn in the win column.

“It was huge,” said Kentridge coach Julie Taylor. “This team really needed it. They’ve been in every single game. They’ve been so close, they just needed to get one so they can start believing in themselves.”

The loss ended Kentlake’s six-game winning streak. Though the Falcons (7-2) remain in prime position to earn one of the top three playoff berths from the North.

Kentridge came into the day having dropped six games by three runs or fewer.

In addition, it’s the first time since March 23, 2004 that Kentridge has beaten Kentlake on the fastpitch diamond, a stretch of 10-consecutive games.

“It wasn’t so much what we didn’t do … they really earned the victory,” said Kentlake coach Greg Kaas. “They stuck it to us when they had to. Today, it just didn’t happen for us. We scratched and just came up short.”

Kentridge pitcher Kelli Suguro deserves part of that credit. Suguro scattered six hits and struck out six in a complete-game effort. But she was also aided on several occasions by a top-notch defense. Mayhew delivered a Gold-Glove caliber double play, shortstop Nicole Barger added a pair of gems to her left while Hannah Overall chipped in a strong backhand down the third-base line in the fourth.

In a game in which they left 10 runners on base, Suguro and the Chargers needed every ounce of their defense to hold off the Falcons.

But Kentlake also squandered several early opportunities. The Falcons nabbed their lone run in the third inning, when Samantha Beckler drove home Erin Crowley with a single to center field. However, Kentlake could have gotten more. The Falcons had the bases loaded with no outs in the inning, but managed just the one run as Suguro toughened.

Kentlake’s Julianne Hartnett was thrown out at home trying to advance on a wild pitch, accounting for the first out. Suguro then induced Sarah Beckler into a shallow fly-ball out to center field for the second out and finished the frame with a strikeout.

“I just was not having the best of games in the beginning. Then I started throwing strikes” Suguro said.

Suguro was tough as nails after that, facing just 14 batters in the final four innings. Kentlake didn’t advance a runner past second base the rest of the afternoon.

“I thought Suguro pitched a really, really good game,” Kaas said. “She wasn’t dominant, but pitched to contact and they made some great plays (on defense).”

Weber was nearly as good as Suguro in the circle. She allowed an unearned run in the first inning before settling into a groove and allowing just six hits while also striking out six.