PORT ANGELES — Say this about the Lefties. They ended their season with an incredible flourish.
The Lefties closed their year with their craziest game of the season, coming back from behind three separate times in a 5-hour-long, 11-inning ridiculously wild 17-16 affair against their rival from across the Strait, the Victoria HarbourCats.
No wonder the game took five hours. More than 2,300 fans were treated to a total of 38 hits, 24 walks, six hit batsmen (for 68 total baserunners), 13 pitchers and an astounding 454 pitches thrown in the game. All that was missing was a partridge in a pear tree.
The game had repeated swings of momentum with four lead changes. The Lefties got ahead 5-0 early, but the HarbourCats scored 11 runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take an 11-7 lead. The Lefties clawed back with a five-run bottom of the sixth to make the score 12-11.
The HarbourCats retook the lead with two runs in the seventh and were still holding a 15-13 lead in the bottom of the ninth. At this point, it had already been an epic game, but the Lefties didn’t want it to end, scoring two runs in the ninth to knot the game up at 15-15, sending it to extra innings.
After a scoreless 10th, Victoria took a 16-15 lead in the top of the 11th, but the Lefties responded with two runs in the bottom of the 11th to pull the game out.
The Lefties finished with 22 hits (including six doubles and a triple) and 12 walks. The HarbourCats had 16 hits and 12 walks.
The win was the first all year against Victoria. The Lefties finished their inaugural season 19-34 (10-17 in the first half of the split season and 9-17 in the second half).
Jordan Ackerman, a relative newcomer to the Lefties, was the player of the game, going 5 for 6 with a double, two walks and three runs scored. Ackerman ended the season 16 for 37, good for a .432 batting average and an on-base percentage of .533.
Bryan Hill was 3 for 6 with a triple, two runs, two RBIs and two walks. Nick Bellefronto was 3 for 6 with two runs and a walk, while Trace Eldredge was 3 for 7 with two runs scored.
Aki Buckson, another late-season star for the Lefties, was 2 for 6 with a double, two runs and two walks, while Michael Ciancio was 2 for 6 with a double, two runs and a walk and Benny Kaleiwahea was 2 for 4 with a double, a run, an RBI and a walk. Mitchell Hagan was 1 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and three walks.
Isaac Olsen got the win on the mound for the Lefties. He went the final 3 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits.
Saturday’s Game
Victoria 6, Port Angeles 4
PORT ANGELES — The Lefties were still looking for their first win against cross-Strait rival Victoria after battling the HarbourCats to a tough 6-4 loss in the second-to-last game of the season.
Saturday’s game had plenty of baserunners, with the Lefties getting 12 hits and two walks and Victoria 13 hits and seven walks. The HarbourCats stranded 12 baserunners, but were able to eke out a win by keeping the Lefties from scoring over the final six innings.
The Lefties got off to a good start, building a two-run lead in the opening two innings. The Lefties struck first in the first inning when Jordan Ackerman and Brian Hill both singled, then Michael Ciancio drove in Ackerman with a base hit to make it 1-0. The Lefties picked up another run in the second when Thomas Martin and Trace Eldredge singled and Martin came in to score on an Ackerman double.
Lefties pitcher Tim Reynolds got off to a good start Saturday with two scoreless innings, but in the third, the HarbourCats were able to touch him up for four runs.
Just two of the runs were earned.
But the Lefties responded by tying the game in the bottom of the third with two runs. Aki Buckson led off the inning with his first home run of the year. Ciancio later doubled, then came in to score on a groundout.
That was it for the Lefties offense, however. Victoria tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth and eighth innings and a quintet of HarbourCats pitchers kept the Lefties off the scoreboard the rest of the way. The Lefties managed just three hits and two walks the rest of the game.
Buckson ended the game 2 for 5 with a run scored and and RBI on his home run. Sicanio was 2 for 4 with a run scored, an RBI and a double. Martin was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Reynolds pitched 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs, but only two earned and picked up the loss. Eli Fultz pitched well down the stretch, going 5 1/3 innings, giving up four hits, an earned run, four walks and two strikeouts.
Saturday’s Game
Victoria 6, Port Angeles 4
Cats 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 — 6 13 0
Lefties 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 4 12 2
WP: Prokups LP: Reynolds
Pitching
Cats — Hannah 4IP, 9H, 4ER, 2K; Prokopis 1IP, 0ER, BB; McKillican 1IP, 1H, K; Masik 0.2IP, 0H, BB; Thorp 0.1IP, 0H; Ritter 2IP, H, 0ER, 2K.
Lefties — Reynolds 3.2IP, 9H, 2ER, 3BB, 3K; Fultz 5.1IP, 4H, ER, 4BB, 2K.
Hitting
Cats — Collard 3-4, R, 2RBI, BB; Vansau 2-4, R, RBI; Shaps 2-3, R, RBI, 2BB; Bragg 2-4, RBI, BB; Porter 2-4, 2R, BB.
Lefties — Buckson 2-5, HR, R, RBI; Ackerman 2-5, 2B, R, RBI; Ciancio 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, Martin 2-3, R; Bellafronto 1-4, 2B.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Lefties’ Aki Buckson, right, raises his helmet to teammate Benny Kaleiwahea after Buckson rounded the bases on a third-inning homer on Saturday evening at Port Angeles Civic Field.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News “Timber,” the Lefties’ new marmot mascot, rides a cart around the infield after being introduced as a team symbol at Saturday night’s game against the Victoria HarbourCats at Port Angeles Civic Field. The Timber character spent time cavorting with spectators while cheering on the Lefties team.
