The Sea Kings Junior Varsity twice came from behind and eventually scored the knockout blow in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat the Marina Vikings 6-5 on Friday.
The Sea Kings immediately found themselves in a 3-0 hole after the top half of the first inning. A pair of singles put runners at the corners for the Vikings. One run scored on a sharp comebacker, which left Marina with a man on second base and two outs. The next Vikings’ batter worked a full count and then celebrated a “Little League home run” when an outfield miscue by the Sea Kings turned a routine single into a round-tripper.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Sea Kings started to claw their way back into the game. Max Brengel (‘27) reached on an error and stole second base. When Prescott Nyman (‘27) also reached on an error, Brengel came around to score and pull the Sea Kings to within two runs, 3-1.
The Sea Kings loaded the bases with the single/walk/hit by pitch variety pack in the bottom of the second inning with only one out, but failed to score.
Things were different in the bottom of the third, as the Sea Kings pulled ahead for the first time in the game by tallying three runs. Back-to-back singles by Brengel and Nyman to lead off the inning put Sea Kings on the corners. Maxwell Morton (‘27) grounded into a fielder’s choice on the right side of the infield, which allowed Brengel to score. After Jacob Olson (‘27) draw a walk, Cason Yarnall (‘27) drove a ball into the right-center gap to score both Morton and Olson, putting the Sea Kings up 4-3.
The Vikings answered with a run in the top of the fourth inning to knot the game at 4-4, though the damage could have been much worse. Sam Healy (‘27) was called in from the bullpen to relieve starter Nyman with the bases loaded and two outs. Healy proceeded to strike out the first Viking he faced to kill off the rally.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Vikings re-took the lead, when they scored a run on a hit by pitch, a stolen base and a single.
The Sea Kings displayed their mettle in the bottom of the sixth inning, coming right back to score a run of their own and tie the game at five apiece. Yarnall led off the frame with a double. Healy’s single put runners on the corners with no one out. Crosby Eddy (‘27) hit the first pitch he saw into center field for a sacrifice fly with Yarnall crossing the plate with the tying run.
The Vikings loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning, but failed to score, which set the stage for the Sea Kings’ heroics in the bottom of the frame.
The game-winning rally started when Nyman lashed a 0-2 pitch into center field for a leadoff single. Porter Fyke (‘26) was called upon to sacrifice Nyman to second base, but his bunt was fielded by the Vikings’ pitcher, who errantly threw the ball into center field putting Sea Kings’ runners on first and second. Olson drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. One batter later, Healy stepped to the plate and drove a 1-0 pitch into shallow center field for a single. The Vikings’ throw from center field beat Nyman to the plate, but he was able to squeeze past Marina’s catcher with an evasive slide and slap home plate for the winning run.
Healy was the man of the match for the Sea Kings. At the plate, he finished his day two for two, including his walk off single in the seventh inning. On the mound, Healy pitched three and one-third innings and only allowed one run on two hits.
Yarnell stuffed the scorebook with his three for four day that included a double, a run scored and two RBI.
Nyman was also three for four with a run scored for the Sea Kings.
Brengel stretched his hitting streak to five games, while stealing a base and scoring two runs.
The Sea Kings Junior Varsity play their final conference games of the season next week when their three-game series with the Edison Chargers begins on Tuesday, April 22.