ELLENSBURG — The Port Angeles Cal Ripken 12-under baseball team was knocked out of the state tournament Saturday, but it wasn’t from a lack of trying.
Port Angeles slammed Moses Lake 10-4 on Friday to finish pool play with a 1-2 record.
The North Olympic team then tripped 3-2 against host and defending state champion Ellensburg during single-elimination competition Saturday.
There were 14 teams in the tournament.
In Saturday’s game, Port Angeles went ahead 1-0 in the first inning and 2-0 in the top of the second before Ellensburg tallied one run in the second and two in the third to take the lead for good.
Ellensburg had eight hits to North Olympic’s nine.
“We had opportunities, and they had opportunities,” Port Angeles manager Mike Mudd said. “The kids played well. They left it all on the field.”
Ellensburg had loaded the bases with no outs one time but Port Angeles came back to shut the defending champion down with no runs in that inning.
Jordan Shepard started on the mound for Port Angeles in the game and went three-plus innings. Tony Dalgardno finished the six-inning game on the mound.
The pair also pitched the Moses Lake game. Shepard started and picked up the win.
“Jordan and Tony were real workhorses on the mound for us,” Mudd said.
Shepard was 2-for-2 with a double offensively while Ryan Mudd went 2-for-3.
Port Angeles hit the ball well the entire tournament, Mike Mudd said.
A.J. Hatfield went 7-for-12 while Brett Wright was 7-for-13 and Zac Withrow hit 4-for-8 in the tourney.
“They were our big, big sticks,” Mike Mudd said. “They really tore off the cover of the ball.”
