A freshman who moved from Wenatchee before the start of the school year powered Kentwood in a 5-4 win over Auburn Riverside to win a fifth place tiebreaker in the South Puget Sound League 4A North.

It started in the bottom of the fourth. Allison Newcomb, the Conquerors’ freshman catcher, followed up sophomore Mackenna Sherman’s triple to left field with a long single to left field picking up her first RBI.

The Ravens tied it up in the top of the sixth.

“I thought we were in it,” Newcomb said. “You can never assume anything. When they scored the two (runs), I wasn’t worried. I knew we would come back.”

In the bottom of the sixth Newcomb stepped to the plate with Sherman on first base after Sherman walked.

Newcomb smacked a 270 foot home run to left field, driving Sherman in to put Kentwood up 4-2.

“There was pressure but I knew if I got on base, Rachel (Burr), the girl who hits after me would drive me in,” she said.

All the Conquerors needed was three outs.

But the Ravens weren’t done. With a pair of runners on, Ashley Fraser ripped a double to left center field, driving in two runs and tying the game up again for Riverside.

Brianne Cossey and Sherman were both on base when Newcomb set up in the batter’s box in the bottom of the seventh.

Newcomb hit a single, driving in Cossey to score the winning run, clinching a spot in the league tournament. Newcomb went 3-for-4 in the game with a pair of singles, a home run, collecting 4 RBIs and scoring two runs.

Sherman was 2-for-2 with a single and a triple, scored two runs and collected a pair of walks.

Newcomb attributed Kentwood’s ability to handle the pressure to its closeness as a team. This group has just two seniors.

“We are so together,” Newcomb said. “We know if we get down we can count on each other to get back up.”

Next up for Kentwood is a 4 p.m. match up with SPSL South no. 2 seed Rogers.

“We’re not going to think ahead to the next game,” Newcomb said. “Rogers is a good team but I knew we can handle them.”