*Editors note: Sunday’s Port Angeles-Redmond game ended after press time.
PORT ANGELES — The Redmond Dudes got the best of the Lefties in one-run games Friday and Saturday, as Port Angeles fell 11-10 and 6-5.
Saturday night, Dudes’ left fielder Mason Gronewald smashed the game-winning solo home run for Redmond in the top of the ninth inning to cap a 3 for 4 night at the plate.
The Lefties nearly pulled off the home half rally, stranding two base runners after a leadoff single, a wild pitch, and two fielders’ choices which advanced base runners to second and third base.
Redmond relief pitcher Skyler Manelski recorded the save while Ikuhiro Tokiwa picked up the win.
Port Angeles relief pitcher Garrett Holpuck was the losing pitcher after surrendering the game-winning home run in the ninth inning.
The Lefties’ defensive woes continued as the team committed three errors following seven in Friday’s loss.
Pitcher exchange
In order to save pitchers, the Dudes let the Lefties use one of their pitchers, Tahj Orona to start the game.
Both Orona and Dudes’ starter Harry Smajic struggled mightily with command.
Orona walked four batters in the second inning, which gave the Dudes a 2-1 lead.
The Lefties were not able to take full advantage of Smajic’s erratic command early on with regular starters Roberto Nunez, Chase Taylor and B.Y. Choi resting tonight.
Smajic threw six wild pitches in the first two innings.
Eventually Orona and Smajic settled in and both starters went the first five innings.
With the Lefties leading 6-4 heading into the seventh, Port Angeles committed three of the team’s seven erros in the game to allow six runs to score.
Two of the errors came on dropped pop-ups from Chanz Doughty in center field as well as Royce Timura at shortstop making his Lefties’ debut tonight.
Owen Alsup clubbed a three-run homer, his second of the summer, to make it a 10-9 Dudes game in the seventh.
Timura plated fellow Port Angeles newcomer, Halen Otte, on an infield single for his first hit as a Lefties’ player to tie the game at 10.
Wes Peninger entered the game to pitch the ninth for Port Angeles. He allowed a single to Cedric Gatter with one out. Nainoa Nall drove home the go-ahead run on a double to the wall in left center.
Jake Smith, who started the game as the designated hitter, came in to pitch with no outs in the seventh, struck out Timura on a full count pitch with the tying run at second base to end the game.
