It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Central Kitsap had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They skirted past the Timberline Blazers 7-5. This was a revenge match for Central Kitsap, as the team was forced to settle for an 11-0 loss when these two played two weeks ago.
Central Kitsap saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ava Day, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
On Timberline's side, Jasmyn Polanco put in work no matter where she played. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off six hits. Polanco has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings every time she's pitched this season. Polanco was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, three RBI, and a stolen base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Lina McDaniel was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 3-for-5. Another player making a difference was Leilani Palacios, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Central Kitsap's win bumped their record up to 7-14. As for Timberline, their defeat ended a 12-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 16-3.
Central Kitsap will head out on the road to square off against Heritage at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Heritage is coming into the contest with three straight losses at home, meaning Central Kitsap will have to defend against a squad hungry for a victory. Timberline will take on Stadium at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Timberline's pitching crew has only allowed 2.3 runs per game this season, so Stadium's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
