Kentridge baseball keeps postseason hopes alive
Published 5:25 pm Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Kentridge High School’s baseball team found themselves on the outside looking in of the playoff picture entering game one of their penultimate series of the regular season against Auburn Riverside.
The Chargers came out like gangbusters in the top of the first inning and rode that momentum to a 6-2 win over Auburn Riverside on the road on April 28.
Kentridge has had a see-saw of a regular season so far, but on Tuesday night, the Chargers showed the type of team they have the potential to be.
The Charger offense was scrappy early on when a run came across on a Cardo del Fierro single in the top of the first with two out. The Chargers then created chaos on the bases with runners on first and third to steal a run against Ravens starter Kaeden Morgan.
“I didn’t care if Morgan went out there and threw a 75 pitch complete game, I wanted our guys to be aggressive. I wanted them to be on-time for the fastball and punch the ball around the yard, and they did that tonight,” Kentridge coach Sheldon Stober said.
Akoni Nazarino has taken his lumps this season. He’s struggled with command and had high pitch counts. But against the Ravens, in a start he needed to show he was the ace, he did just that.
“He really was our dog on the mound tonight and gave us a chance to win. That is what we need out of him, especially this late in the year. We had to get a win tonight and for him to give us that chance, really means a lot,” Stober said.
Nazarino went 6.0 innings, allowed four hits, two runs that were unearned and struck out five.
The Chargers added a run in the second from Levi Baca, who homered on the tenth pitch of his at-bat. He took Morgan deep to left centerfield for just his second home run this season.
In the third the Chargers took a commanding 4-0 lead thanks to del Fierro, who came through again with two out in the inning. He doubled down the leftfield line, scoring Karson Barnes, who reached on an error to lead off the inning.
“It felt really good,” del Fierro said.
Del Fierro is starting to make his mark at the plate for Stober and the Chargers, and as the schedule now has just three games remaining, the runs will come at a premium.
“He’s gotten better and better,” Stober said. “It’s fantastic to see. He’s came up in spots that have helped us give us a chance to win at the end of games.”
The Ravens scored their two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the Chargers’ lead in half. Kentridge responded with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to find that four run buffer once again, and most importantly, finish the game strong.
In terms of that playoff picture, Kentridge and Kentwood are tied for fifth at 5-6 in 4A NPSL play. Auburn Riverside and Mount Rainier are now tied at 6-5 with just a one game lead over the two teams from Kent.
Game two of the Kentridge and Auburn Riverside series scheduled for April 29 will have massive playoff implications. “When you get to the end, nothing else matters. Your girlfriends, whatever drama you got going on, all that matters is today. Putting us in that seventh inning to have a chance to win,” Stober said.
