TACOMA — Chimacum couldn’t pull off one last rally against Olympic League foe Klahowya and fell 5-4 in extra innings in a loser-out West Central District baseball game Thursday at Foss High School.
It was as even a matchup as you’re likely to find in prep sports.
The Cowboys (8-11) and Eagles (8-10) split four contests on the season, with three games decided by one run and the other decided by two runs.
“It’s been a battle with those guys,” Chimacum coach Bob Eldridge said.
After tying the game up with a two-out rally in its last-at bat, Klahowya loaded the bases in the top of the eighth and scored the eventual game-winning run on a Nathan Mjor sacrifice fly.
Chimacum went 1-2-3 in its final at-bats in the eighth to end the game.
The Cowboys had taken a 4-2 lead after three innings, scoring on Cole Dotson’s two-run single in the second and a two-run error in the third.
“It was a game that we should have won,” Eldridge said.
“We had some plays that didn’t go our way and some calls that didn’t go our way.”
Dotson pitched well, allowing three earned runs on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in six innings on the hill.
Klahowya pitcher Tanyr Gagnon, who arrived late to the game after taking an AP Psychology exam, stepped in and shut down Chimacum with runners at second and third and one out in the third inning.
Gagnon shut out the Cowboys the rest of the way, allowing two hits and three walks in 5.2 innings.
“He was impressive,” Eldridge said. “He’s a good pitcher and he shut us down pretty well.”
It was the final contest for Chimacum seniors Dotson, Issac Purser, Jonah Diehl, Ben Preston and Aaron Serrato.
They”ve been together forever, started off at East Jefferson Little League and came up through there and have been playing together all that time,” Eldridge said of his seniors.
“A good group of really good kids all with different personalities and a fun group.They are going to be missed, a lot of the younger players will have to step up and fill their shoes.
Klahowya 5, Chimacum 4
Klah. 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1— 5 8 3
Chim. 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0— 4 7 3
WP: Gagnon LP: Serrato
Pitching
Klahowya — Lawson 2.1IP, 5H, 4R, 2ER, K; Gagnon 5.2IP, 2H, 3BB, 9K.
Chimacum — Dotson 6IP, 6H, 3ER, 3BB, 6K; Serrato 2IP, 2H, 2R, 2BB.
Hitting
Klahowya — Prater 2-5, RBI; Wallis 2-5, 2R; Stoner 1-2, BB, R, RBI; Schneider 1-2, RBI
Chimacum — Dotson 1-3, BB, 2RBI; Purser 2-4, 2B, R; Preston 1-4, R; Brebberman 1-4, R; Serrato 1-3, R; Clark 1-4.
North Kitsap 5, Sequim 1
TACOMA — The Wolves’ season came to a close with a loss to the Vikings on Saturday at Franklin Pierce High School.
Sequim finished the season with a 14-9 record.
A more complete recap will appear in Monday’s Peninsula Daily News.
Kitsap News Group reporter Mark Krulish contributed to this report.