PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles 12U baseball team was barely blemished in its undefeated six-game strut through the Pacific Northwest Regional Cal Ripken 12U tournament over the weekend in Kalispell, Mont.
With the championship, Port Angeles’ second in two weeks after taking the North Washington State title in Ellensburg earlier this month, the team qualified for the Cal Ripken World Series in Alachua, Fla., from Wednesday, Aug. 6, through Tuesday, Aug. 12.
In the break before the World Series, team members, family and friends are raising funds to help with travel expenses.
The Cal Ripken organization covers airfare and rooms for the players and coaches, but other transportation, luggage, meals and expenses are the team’s responsibility.
Complicating matters is Cal Ripken booked the team’s flight out of the Portland, Ore., airport and not Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The costs for parents and other family members also are not covered, so an unexpected expense has arisen.
Donations can be made at any First Federal branch location, and the team has planned some fundraisers to help offset costs.
First Race Car Wash owner Steve Chamberlain has agreed to donate a portion of funds raised from his professional car wash from all cars washed between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday.
First Race Car Wash is located at the corner of First and Race streets in Port Angeles.
A “Penny Per Mile” fundraiser is planned for A lbertsons grocery from noon to 5 p.m. Friday.
Team members will be manning a booth at the store and seeking donations of a penny for each of the 3,069 miles between Port Angeles and Alachua, Fla.
Donors giving a penny for each mile would make a total donation of $30.69.
A home run derby contest and speed pitch fundraisers are planned for the Dick Brown Memorial Tournament at the Lincoln Park ball fields on Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
“We’ll have a pitching machine out there for the derby and the radar gun can clock people’s fastest pitch,” said assistant coach Kevin Miller.
Donations also will be accepted at the tournament.
Montana recap
Port Angeles rolled to a 4-0 mark in pool play, winning games by scores of 11-4 against Caldwell, Idaho, a 26-1 dismantling of Polson, Mont., a 14-3 win against Calgary, Alb., a 19-3 shellacking of Havre, Mont.
Six Port Angeles players combined for 10 home runs in the four pool play games.
“We hit the living snot out of the ball at that tournament,” Port Angeles manager Rob Merritt said.
“We never let up.”
Port Angeles then swamped Lower Columbia, the North Oregon state champs, 14-2 in the semifinals. The slugging Port Angeles lineup batted through the order and were up 6-0 before they even took the field on defense in the bottom of the first inning.
“The regional director used a good word to describe us, ‘relentless,’” Merritt said.
“We kind of preach that ethic, don’t stop if you have the lead, keep at it and don’t sit around.”
Regional Tournament MVP Ethan Flodstrom pitched and had stellar defense behind him according to assistant coach Kevin Miller.
Flodstrom wrapped the tournament with four home runs and won two games as pitcher.
In the semifinal, Flodstrom helped his own cause with three hits, lefty Slater Bradley added three hits, and Derek Bowechop and Brody Merritt contributed two hits apiece.
A total of 12 of Port Angeles’ 13 batters had at least one hit in the contest.
In the regional championship a 9-2 win in a rematch against the Idaho state champs, Port Angeles trotted out their big horse, Brody “Tonka” Merritt.
Merritt threw bullets and his defense backed him up all game long, allowing just two runs on three hits.
Bowechop lead the offense with three hits, with Milo Whitman, Bradley and Nathan Miller adding two hits apiece.
Flodstrom added a double and Tanner Lunt, and Timmy Adams delivered hits as well.
