PORT ANGELES — The Lefties got home runs from Ian Nowak and Jake Portaro and a solid pitching performance from Luke Fralely, but a pair of runs by Bellingham in the eighth and ninth innings were the difference in a 4-2 loss.
The Lefties entered the eighth inning tied 2-2 with their runs coming from Nowak’s solo shot in the second inning, his fifth of the year and Portaro’s solo shot, his second homer of the season, in the seventh. But, they couldn’t manage any other runs as otherwise their lineup was shut down by a quartet of Bells’ pitchers that gave up just six hits.
Fralely pitched well enough to win, going five innings and giving up no earned runs on two hits and zero walks. He also struck out four. Aaron Charles also pitched a scoreless inning with no hits and no walks.
Sean Roby also had two hits for the Lefties. Nowak has hit all five of his home runs since June 25. He now leads the Lefties in home runs and is fifth in the West Coast League in that category.
Sequim’s Evan Hurn had a single in the game for the Bells.
The Lefties (13-22 overall, 3-5 in the second half) took Monday off and will play at 6:35 p.m. today in a nonleague game against the Thurston County Senators. They return to WCL play with a short two-day road trip to Walla Walla beginning Wednesday.
Bellingham 4, Port Angeles 2
Bells 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 — 4 9 1
Lefties 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 2 6 2
WP: Zavisubin LP: Battaglia
Pitching
Bells — Pettway 5IP, 5H, ER, BB, 2K; DeLaite 2IP, H, ER, BB, K; Zavisubin IP, 0H, 0ER, 2K; Manuel 1IP, 0H, 0ER, 2K.
Lefties — Fralely 5IP; Battaglia 1IP, 2H, ER, K; Charles 1IP, H, K; Fisher 0IP, H, ER, BB; Gartner 1.2IP, 3H, ER.
Hitting
Bells — McClary 2-4, R; Lawson 2-4; Yake 1-3, R, RBI; Hanon 1-3, R; Shenton 1-3, RBI.
Lefties — Nowak 1-4, HR, RBI, R; Roby 2-4; Portaro 1-4, HR, R, RBI; Tengan 1-4; Kato 1-4.
Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News Ian Nowak of the Lefties is congratulated by teammate Sean Roby after hitting a home run Sunday against the Bellingham Bells. Nowak has hit five home runs since June 25.
