09-05-2025
Decatur and Kentridge wage crossover battle ahead of next week's baseball action
Baseball playoff fates were decided for Decatur and Kentridge long before they stepped onto the field at Hogan Park at Russell Road in Kent for a non-league game against each other Thursday afternoon.
Both are set to open District 3/4 action Tuesday, with Decatur coming in as the North Puget Sound League Class 3A champion and Kentridge as the No. 3 entry from the league's Class 4A division.
The Gators posted a 15-1 record in taking the 3A No. 1 spot, falling to 18-2 overall with a 6-3 loss to the host Kentridge Chargers Thursday.
The Chargers improved to 13-6 overall with the win after going 9-5 in 4A division play.
Decatur is the No. 2 District 3/4 seed and will host No. 7 Peninsula to open Tuesday in double elimination action at a time and location to be announced.
Kentridge is seeded No. 9 in 4A and knows it will host No. 16 South Kitsap for a loser-out opener at 4 p.m. Tuesday back at Hogan Park.
'This game didn't mean a whole lot, but it's a momentum thing,' said Shane Stober, who assists his brother Sheldon as a Kentridge coach. 'It's good to keep the momentum going.'
Decatur sixth year head coach Chris Fox enjoys his team's 3A championship status coming off a 10-13 season in 2024 including playoffs as a 4A team.
'It's been a really, really good season,' he said. 'We're good to go. Good senior leadership has been huge for us this year.'
The Gators have clicked in many departments.
'On the field it's been the bats that have carried us,' Fox said. 'We've hit 12 or 13 home runs, so we've got a lot of power in the middle of our order.'
And there is more in their favor.
'Our pitching 1-3 has been solid,' Fox said. 'And our defense is good up the middle at catcher, shortstop and second base.'
It was Kentridge that came out and won Thursday, though, starting off with one run each in the bottom of the first and third innings.
Teegan O'Brien doubled over the left fielder's head to score Owen Finlayson all the way from first base in the first inning and Ethan Sugimoto walked and came around on a Finlayson double and a Manny Harris sacrifice fly in the third.
Three unearned runs were added on two errors on one play in the fourth for a 5-0 Chargers lead after Levi Baca singled and Brendyn Malapitan and Landon Todd both walked to load the bases.
Donovan Lopez hit into a two base error down the right field line and a relay throw was also missed.
Decatur answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to cut the advantage to 5-3.
Nate Gilmore blasted a double to deep center, advanced to third on a Tyler Buol grounder and scored on a single by Landon Le.
Landin Parker singled to load the bases. Eric Davili singled in Buol ahead of an RBI sacrifice fly by Spencer Holloway.
Kentridge came back with one in the bottom of the sixth as Malapitan walked and scored on an infield single by Cordo del Fierro and ensuing errant throw.
The Chargers held on as the Gators tried to put together a two out rally in the top of the seventh and final inning.
Holloway hit an infield single and CJ Gatterson doubled to put runners on second and third before Finlayson fielded a grounder at shortstop and fired to first for the final out.
