PORT ANGELES — Bellingham’s Jack Van Remortel was a one-man show this weekend.
After the Lefties rallied to tie the game after falling behind 7-0, Van Remortel, who plays baseball for Michigan, hit a grand slam in the ninth inning to propel Bellingham to an 11-7 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. It was his third home run of the series. He also had nine RBIs.
The Lefties tried to rally again, loading the bases and bringing the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but a double play ended the threat and the game.
Earlier in the series, Port Angeles lost to Bellingham 9-7 on Saturday and won 3-2 on Friday.
Friday, Saturday games
The Lefties came roaring back from a deep hole Saturday night but couldn’t get the big hit when it was needed in a 9-7 loss to Bellingham.
Port Angeles fell behind 8-1 early but clawed its way back into the game, thanks largely to a big five-run fourth inning. Bellingham held an 8-7 lead after the fifth inning, getting an insurance run in the ninth for the final tally.
The Lefties’ best chance to take the lead came in the eighth when they had runners on first and third with two outs. Port Angeles’ Riley Parker, who had a huge game overall, struck out to end the threat.
Parker had a bases-loaded double in the fourth inning to get the Lefties back into the game. He also had a sacrifice fly and finished with four RBIs on the day.
Van Remortel did most of the damage for the Bells. He belted a pair of home runs and drove in five runs.
The Lefties’ Adam Pagnelli went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Mason Persons was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Newly arrived Jadon Arakaki (University of Nebraska) was 2-for-4 with a run scored, a stolen base and an RBI in his first game for the Lefties. Hayden Driggs (Saint Mary’s College) also had a hit, a run scored and an RBI in his first game for the Lefties.
Nathan Criswell took the loss for the Lefties. Nelson Smith pitched well for Port Angeles. He went 2⅔ innings, allowing no hits and one walk while striking out five. Trey Maeker went two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two.
The Lefties got spectacular pitching from John Pfeffer and Andrew Hauck in a 3-2 win Friday over the Bells on Friday.
The duo allowed just three hits and no earned runs.
Pfeffer pitched a five-inning no-hitter, allowing just three walks. He struck out three. Hauck went the final four innings for the well-earned save. He allowed two runs in the ninth inning but got the final out with the tying run on base to end the threat. He allowed three hits and no earned runs while striking out four.
The Lefties scored all three of their runs in the second inning.
Weston Peninger began the rally with a single. A Bellingham error on a Derek Bogh grounder put runners on second and third. Colin Curry hit a single, but Peninger was thrown out at home.
Isaiah Munoz followed up with a clutch RBI double. Curry and Munoz then came in to score on a error on an Ethan Flodstrom grounder.
From that point on, Pfeffer and Hauck mowed down the Bellingham hitters over the next seven innings.
Bellingham threatened in the ninth with an error, a double and a single scoring a pair of runs, but left the tying run stranded at first base.
BY Choi was 2-for-3 with a walk, while Munoz was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Flodstrom was 0-for-3 but had two RBIs.
The Lefties have today off, then host the Kelowna Falcons at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday at Civic Field.
Bellingham 9, Port Angeles 7
B’ham 4 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 — 9 8 0
PA0 0 1 5 1 0 0 0 0 — 7 11 3
WP: Delvecchio. LP: Criswell. SV: Campos.
Pitching
Bellingham — Delvecchio 3.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K; Thorsteinson 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K; Erdman 3 IP, H, BB, 4 K; Campos IP, K.
PA — Orr 1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K; Quinones 1.2 IP, 2 H, ER, K; Criswell ER, 3 BB; Smith 2.2 IP, BB, 5 K; Maeker 2 IP, H, 2 K; McCollough IP, H, ER, BB.
Hitting
Bellingham — Van Remortel 2-4, 2 HRs, 2 R, 5 RBIs, BB; Clow 2-4, 2 R; Parkman 1-5, 2B, 2 R.
PA — Parker 1-4, 2B, SF, 4 RBIs; Persons 2-4 R; Arakaki 2-4, R, RBI, SB; Mulflur 1-2, R, RBI, BB.
Port Angeles 3, Bellingham 2
B’ham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 — 2 3 2
PA0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 X — 3 5 1
WP: Pfeffer. LP: Spencer. SV: Hauck.
Pitching
Bellingham — Spencer 5 IP, 5 H, BB, 5 K; Clow 2 IP, K; Foster IP, 2 BB, K.
PA — Pfeffer 5 IP, 3 BB, 3 K; Hauck 4 IP, 2 H, 4 K.
Hitting
Bellingham — Parkman 1-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB, SB; Campos 1-4, R, RBI.
PA — Choi 2-3, BB; Munoz 1-3, 2B, R, RBI; Flodstrom 0-3, HBP, 2 RBI.
