PORT ANGELES — The music was booming over a new PA system and the bats were booming as well, as the Lefties showed their hometown fans the kind of exciting baseball they can expect to see this year with an offensive back-and-forth affair against Kelowna that saw 22 hits, 15 runs and four lead changes.
Kelowna and Port Angeles traded the lead all game. Ultimately, an eighth-inning home run by Kelowna’s Taylor Wright turned out to be the difference as the Falcons edged out the Lefties 8-7, snapping Port Angeles’ two-game win streak. The Lefties had two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth, but weren’t able to get the tying or go-ahead runs home.
Joey Galeno went 2 for 5 (actually lowering his batting average to .412) with two RBIs and a run for the Lefties, while Jake Portaro went 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Brody Kato went 2 for 3 with a home run, and Austyn Tengan also went 2 for 4 with a run scored and Sean Roby was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. Marten Pauwells was 1 for 5 with two RBIs. Defensively, Kato, playing catcher, also threw out a baserunner at second late in the game while Trent Bryan threw out a baserunner from the outfield to end an inning and kill a Kelowna rally.
Kelowna got off to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Alex McGarry drove in Bryce Steckler from second with a single.
The Lefties (2-3) roared back with three runs in the third, all after two outs. The rally started with a double by Portaro. Sean Roby drove him in with a single to tie the game at 1-1.
Galeno then smacked a single and Pauwells drove in both Galeno and Roby with a double to make it 3-1.
Kelowna came back with three runs in the fourth to retake the lead. The Falcons scored one run on two walks and two hit batsmen, then Chris Arpen drove in two runners with a bases-loaded hit to make it 4-3 Kelowna.
The Lefties bounced back immediately in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs for the second straight inning. Galeno drove in a pair of runs with bases-loaded hit to make it 6-4.
In the top of the fifth, Kelowna’s Chris Diehl doubled and came around to score, then Steckler hit an RBI double as Kelowna tied it 6-6. The inning could have been worse for the Lefties though, but a great throw by Bryan nailed a baserunner to end the threat.
Kato smacked his home run, the Lefties’ third round-tripper in two games, in the bottom of the fifth as Port Angeles retook the lead yet again 7-6.
Kelowna tied it 7-7 in the sixth as McGarry walked, stole second, moved to third on an out and came home when a pitch got behind Kato.
Wright smacked a home run in the eighth as Kelowna retook the lead for good, but not without a tense bottom of the eighth.
The Lefties threatened in the bottom of the inning as Mikey Hooper hit a single, then Tengan walked. The runners came around to second and third on a passed ball, but the Lefties were not able to drive them home.
Cal Hehnke for the Falcons was able to get a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the ninth for the win.
The Lefties end their series with the Falcons at 6:35 p.m. today at Civic Field, then Walla Walla comes to Port Angeles for the first time at 6:35 p.m. Thursday to begin a three-game series.
Kelowna 8, Port Angeles 7
Kelowna 1 0 0 3 2 1 0 1 0 — 8 10 0
PA 0 0 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 — 7 12 0
Hitting
Kelowna — Wright 2-6, HR, RBI, R; Arpan 2-4, 2RBI; Steckler 2-4, RBI, 2R, McGarry 1-3, 2RBI, 2BB.
PA — Galeno 2-5, 2RBI R; Portaro 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2R; Kato 2-3, HR, RBI, R, BB; Tengan 2-4, R, BB; Pauwells 1-5, 2B, 2RBI, Roby 2-4, RBI, R, BB.
Lefties starter Jared Welander throws to the plate in the third inning of Monday’s game against Kelowna.
