Wright strikes out 14, Kentwood shuts out Auburn Riverside in 4A/3A NPSL showdown

Doug Drowley
·3 min read
Kentwood pitcher Sarah Wright (9) pitches during the third inning of a non-conference varsity softball game against Auburn Riverside at Auburn Riverside High School in Auburn, Wash. on April 25, 2023. Kentwood defeated Auburn Riverside 3-0.

Kentwood High School’s coaches had a hunch as the Conquerors softball team prepared for its Class 4A/3A North Puget Sound League showdown on Tuesday night against Auburn Riverside.

That hunch led to a defensive shift at second base, which resulted in senior C.J. Larsen recording several career firsts as Kentwood stayed unbeaten in league play with a 3-0 victory over the host Ravens.

“We were doing bunt coverages yesterday, having a feeling they were going to bunt on us and she just did phenomenal,” first-year Kentwood coach Sydney Eacret said. “So we were like, your bats been lighting up, let’s give you a shot. That’s actually her first time playing second base. Never played second before.”

In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the Conquerors (8-0 NPSL, 12-3 overall) clinging to just a one-run lead against the only other unbeaten team in league play, Larsen added another career first when she surprised everyone by hitting her first high school home run.

The two-run shot to left center field from the left-handed hitter that normally catches and plays first base extended the advantage to 3-0, usually far more than enough for reigning Washington Gatorade Player of the Year Sarah Wright in the circle.

“This girl is a workhorse,” Eacret said of her pitcher. “A lot of people see her on the field, see what a machine she is. What they don’t see is what a great teammate she is.”

The three runs was more than enough again against the Ravens (8-1, 12-4) as Wright just did her thing. The junior struck out 14 Auburn Riverside batters, allowed just four Ravens runners to reach base, and came within a Lexi Vircks high chopper to third of throwing a no-hitter.

“I think it was a no-hitter, too,” Wright said before recalling the Vircks chop with two outs in the second inning.

Ironically, one of the other three base runners was leadoff hitter Bailee Brader for the Ravens, who bunted on Wright’s first pitch of the game in the bottom of the first. The ball came back to Wright at the front of the pitching circle, and Wright fielded the ball.

She did slightly bobble it before looking to fire to first base. First baseman Gabby Greenwall had crashed down, which mean coverage of the bag fell to Larsen — just like in Monday’s practice drills.

But on her first real-time chance, Larsen arrived a beat late and Brader reached on the error. Larsen executed the coverage flawlessly on her other two opportunities later in the game, and more than made up for the first-inning snafu with that first career home run.

Kentwood (4A) now owns the top spot by itself in the combined 4A/3A NPSL standings. Auburn Riverside remains the top 3A team in the league and still are in position to be the league’s top seed to the playoffs when they begin in May.

“I know we’re undefeated in league,” Eacret said. “We asked the girls coming into the season, how many teams can you think of that go undefeated? They couldn’t think of any. We worked out the kinks in the nonleague season. Lost three games. That really taught them some things.

Tonight was a huge culmination of that.”