PORT ANGELES — Wilder Baseball’s defense lost a duel with Laces 19U, costing the hosts a chance to win their second straight Dick Brown Memorial Firecracker Classic championship.
Wilder committed four errors as both teams were held to three hits in Laces’ 5-1 win Saturday at Civic Field.
All five of the runs given up by Wilder pitchers James Grubb and Brady Konopaski were unearned.
“That’s what cost us,” Wilder coach Mike Politika said.
“Just little mistakes that added up.”
Eathen Boyer drove in Dusty Bates with a fielder’s choice to cut Laces’ lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning.
That score remained until the top of the seventh when Laces scored three runs to extend its advantage to 5-1.
Tanner Gochnour and two of Wilder’s three hits. Zach Withrow had the other.
Laces pitcher Nick Hoskins threw a complete game, striking out seven in seven innings.
“Their pitcher was probably the best we faced all year,” Politika said.
“It was a tough outing for outing for boys, but they battled, they competed.”
Wilder will play Laces 18U for third place today at 3 p.m. It will be Wilder’s last home game of the summer.
Laces 19U will face North Kitsap AAA Legion at 6 p.m. for the Firecracker Classic championship.
Laces 19U 5, Wilder 1
Laces 19U 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 — 5 3 1
Wilder 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 3 4
WP- Hoskins; LP- Grubb
Pitching Statistics
Laces 19U: Hoskins 7 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, 7 K.
Wilder: Grubb 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K; Konopaski 2 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Bates 0-1, BB, HBP, R; Gochnour 2-3; Withrow 1-2; Boyer 0-3, RBI.
