After pulling out an ugly, error-filled game in the opening round of the district tournament last week, the Kentwood High baseball team came correct in the final two rounds of the West Central/Southwest 4A Bi-District tournament at Art Wright Field in Kent.
On Saturday, behind another strong performance by ace lefthander Kyle Doyle and steady defensive play throughout, the Conquerors turned back South Kitsap 5-0 in a semifinal game. The win helped the Conquerors earn a berth to the championship game, which was originally slated for Saturday night, but rained out.
After a day off Sunday, the Conquerors continued their momentum Monday night with a 10-2 thumping of third-ranked Puyallup for the district title.
“It was actually a little closer than that,” said coach Jon Aarstad. “Defensively, it was a lot cleaner.”
The two nearly flawless victories followed up an ugly, error-filled win over Gig Harbor, a game in which the Conquerors committed an uncharacteristic five errors.
In the win over South Kitsap, Doyle, who has become Kentwood’s No. 1 pitcher after previous ace Avery Kain suffered a season-ending leg injury more than a month ago, was as strong as ever. Doyle worked five shutout innings, allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out six.
“He’s been our go-to guy since Avery went down,” Aarstad said. “He came up and got it done.”
As did the Kentwood bats.
Genger, who picked up the save with two solid innings of relief, gave Kentwood’s pitching staff all the offense it would need by driving home Taylor Jones with a single in the second inning.
Kentwood broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning. The Conquerors pushed their lead to 2-0 after a bases-loaded South Kitsap error, which set the table for Cash McGuire. McGuire didn’t disappoint, either, drilling a bases-clearing double into the left-center gap, giving Kentwood a 5-0 lead.
McGuire finished with two of Kentwood’s five hits, and three RBIs.
The Conquerors (18-6) continued their winning ways against SPSL South champion Puyallup.
Kentwood’s Alec Wilson gave the Vikings a glimpse of what was to come by leading the game off with a solo home run to left field, giving Kentwood an immediate 1-0 lead. The Conquerors led the game from start to finish.
Wilson wasn’t the only Conqueror wielding a big bat. Taylor Jones, who picked up the win on the mound, hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving the Conquerors a 7-2 lead.
“We responded,” Aarstad said. “We hit well and we did the little things.”
With the three wins, Kentwood will take the top seed from the district tournament to state, which begins Saturday at various locations. Kentwood, which has won six in a row and nine of its last 10, will play Gig Harbor at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Tacoma in its Class 4A state opener. Kentwood won the state title last year, its first since 2000.
“We’re going to have to mentally change in the next few days if we want to do anything,” Aarstad said. “We’re not there yet. But I think the kids can get there.”
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