PORT ANGELES — Daniel Harker shut down Klahowya’s rally to secure the Olympic Crosscutters’ 5-3 win at Civic Field.
The Crosscutters built up a 5-0 lead over the first five innings of Tuesday’s American Legion AA North League game.
Klahowya took a chunk out of its deficit in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs on five walks and a single off Olympic pitcher Dane Bradow.
Harker relieved Bradow with the bases loaded and struck out Jacob Henson to end the inning.
Harker hit the leadoff batter in the seventh but struck out the next three to end the game.
“He was throwing great,” Crosscutters coach John Qualls said. “That’s the best he’s looked in quite a while.”
Harker and Bradow combined with Eli Harrison and starter Nigel Christian to strike out 10 batters and hold Klahowya to two hits.
Olympic’s offense finished with seven hits and wasted little time scoring, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Gavin Velarde walked and Nigel Christian singled to put two on with one out.
Bailey Earley then drove in both runners with a two-run double to left field.
“He’s swinging a hot bat. Hot, hot, hot,” Qualls said of Earley.
Olympic added a run in the third inning. Austin Hilliard singled, moved to second base on A.J. Prater’s single, stole third and came home on Velarde’s sacrifice fly to center field.
The Crosscutters’ final two runs came with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
After Olympic’s first two batters struck out, Blake Mann singled to start the two-out rally.
Hilliard followed with a walk, and Prater singled to bring home Mann and advance Hilliard to third base.
Hilliard then stole home to make it 5-0.
Hilliard finished the game with four stolen bases.
“We worked through some mental and character building times,” Qualls said.
“We’re not used to playing so often.”
Tuesday opened a stretch of eight or nine games in six days for the Crosscutters.
They host North Kitsap today at Civic Field and then travel to the Anacortes Wooden Bat Tournament where they will play once Friday, twice Saturday and once or twice Sunday, depending on their seeding.
Last year, Wilder Baseball’s junior team, which was coached by Qualls and featured many of the same players as the Crosscutters, placed second at the Anacortes Wooden Bat Tournament.
Crosscutters 5, Klahowya 3
Klahowya 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 — 3 2 0
Crosscutters 2 0 1 0 2 0 x — 5 7 2
WP- Harrison; SV- Harker; LP- Hanley
Pitching Statistics
Klahowya: Hanley 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, BB, 6 K.
Crosscutters: Christian 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K; Harrison 3 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K; Bradow 1/3 IP, H, 3 R, 5 BB; Harker 1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 4 K.
Hitting Statistics
Klahowya: Winslow 1-3, BB, R; Trull 1-2, RBI.
Crosscutters: Prater 2-3, RBI, SB; Earley 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Christian 1-1, R, SB; Hilliard 1-1, 2 R, 4 SB; Shaw 1-3; Mann 1-2, R; Velarde 0-2, R, SB.
