PORT ORCHARD — The first day of the District 2 Little League Majors tournament showcased two evenly matched Gig Harbor baseball teams. With two dugouts filled with friends — although on separate teams — the Gig Harbor Americans squeaked out a 4-3 victory over the Gig Harbor Nationals in seven innings at Art Mikelson Field on Sunday.
In round two the following day, the Americans dismantled East and South Jefferson 13-2. They are scheduled to play Bainbridge Island at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Against the Nationals, Gig Harbor American shortstop Marque Kriebel came through with the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the seventh after the Nationals intentionally walked Jaxson Schneider to load the bases.
With the defense playing in, looking for a play at home plate, Kriebel hit a hard chopper through the middle. Teammate Christian Lewis waltzed in to end the game. It was Kriebel’s first game-winning RBI during a district tournament.
“It was fun to come through and give your team the win,” he said.
Lewis started his team off with a first-pitch double in the seventh against Nationals reliever Will Foley.
“I was thinking, ‘Hit the ball and put it in play,’ ” Lewis said. “I was just hoping that everyone could come through and hit the ball.”
Throughout most of the game, though, the Nationals controlled the momentum. They scored three runs in the first inning to give left-handed pitcher Matt Henckel a comfortable lead.
Henckel dominated on the mound, tossing a one-hit shutout through 4 2/3 innings. Kriebel was the only Gig Harbor American player to connect for a hit against him.
Gig Harbor American Manager Dave Kilcup said he watched Henckel’s pitch count the whole game. In Little League, to help preserve young players’ arms, pitchers are limited to 85 pitches.
“I was just counting them off,” Kilcup said. “We needed the extra innings. He held us to nothing for the first five innings. You can’t take anything away from that kid.”
With a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Henckel’s pitch count was up, so the Nationals called Ben Weymiller to the mound. Weymiller walked a batter to load the bases, and Gig Harbor American catcher Henry Cheney walked to give his team its first run of the game. Schneider followed with an RBI single, and Kriebel was hit by a pitch to tie the game 3-3.
“Once they took him (Henckel) off the mound, I was thinking we can hit these guys,” Lewis said.
The game was for the taking going into the sixth inning. The Nationals threatened with runners on first and second with one out, but a baserunning mistake at third base after a wild pitch silenced their spirits and got the Americans out of a jam.
Nationals Coach Steve Sutton wanted to keep Henckel in the game for as long as possible.
“The next pitchers were throwing a little low, and things happen,” Sutton said. “In the sixth, we could’ve advanced some runners. We made a couple small mistakes, and they capitalized on them.”
9-10s: The Gig Harbor team played in a loser-out softball game after press time on Tuesday.
10-11s: The Gig Harbor team lost to Bainbridge Island 3-2 on Monday and played North Kitsap on Tuesday after press time in an elimination game.
Print
E-Mail