PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles pitchers Corey Sanchez and Justin Dunham combined to strike out 14 in a combined nine innings on the mound, but the Lefties couldn’t complete a late rally and fell 4-2 to Driveline Academy on Friday night at Civic Field.
Sanchez was solid minus one poor inning, the top of the fifth, in the nonleague contest.
He hit the first two batters he faced, allowed a single load the bases and Driveline went up 1-0 on a fielders’ choice.
Luis Menendez followed with a three-run homer to put Driveline up 4-0.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Lefties right fielder Coleman Schmidt reaches for the catch as teammate Luke Sanders looks on during the third inning of Friday night’s game at Port Angeles Civic Field.
The Lefties answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth.
UC-Santa Barbara’s Nick Oakley reached base on a fielding error at first by the Driveline pitcher to open the inning and then stole second base.
Shea Thomas followed with a single into shallow center that scored Oakley racing around from second base.
Thomas advanced to second on the play then stole third base, scoring on the errant throw to third by the Driveline catcher to make it 4-2.
Trailing by the same score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Port Angeles brought the winning run to the plate after Javy Espinoza worked the count for a walk and Luke Saunders also drew a walk.
With runners at the corners and two outs, Oakley got a good barrel on the ball but lined out to third for the third and final out.
“We came out after a good win [Thursday] and had some opportunities early and we didn’t cash them in,” assistant coach Earl Smith said. “Situational hitting, we’ve been working on it and focusing on it and we didn’t do it early and it was a big part of the result at the end.”
Port Angeles faces Driveline today at Civic Field 1:35 p.m. to complete the three-game series.
Thursday’s game
Port Angeles avoided the sweep against Bellingham with a 9-3 win Thursday.
A four-run third inning opened up the contest for the Lefties with RBI singles from Espinoza and Thomas and a two-run double by K. Saterstrom.
Port Angeles loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth on a Tommy Takayoshi leadoff single, a walk to Saterstrom and a Saunders hit-by-pitch.
Espinoza added another RBI single and Thomas doubled home two more for an 8-1 Lefties lead.
Port Angeles 9, Bellingham 3
B 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 — 3 3 5
PA 0 1 4 0 3 1 0 1 x — 9 10 0
WP: Connor Spear LP: Trevin Hope
Pitching
Bellingham: Hope 3 IP, 5H, 5R, 2ER, 4K; Pallares 1.1 IP, H, 3ER, 3BB, 2K; Sanders 0.2 IP, 3H, R, 2BB, K; Alberini 3 IP, H, 5K.
Port Angeles: Speark 5 IP, H, ER, 5BB, 8K; Brooks 2 IP, 2R, ER, BB, 3K; Lewis IP, 2BB, 2K; Thomas IP.
Hitting
Port Angeles: S. Thomas 2-4, 2R, 2B, 3RBI; Saterstrom 1-3, R, BB, 2B, 3RBI; Takayoshi 3-3, R; Espinoza 2-3, R, BB, SB, RBI; Saunders 0-3, 2 HBP, SB, 2R.
Port Angeles 9, Bellingham 3
Bell. 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 — 3 3 5
PA 0 1 4 0 3 1 0 1 x — 9 10 0
WP: Connor Spear LP: Trevin Hope
Pitching
Bellingham — Hope 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 4 K; Pallares 1.1 IP, H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Sanders 0.2 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, K; Alberini 3 IP, H, 5 K.
Port Angeles — Speark 5 IP, H, ER, 5 BB, 8 K; Brooks 2 IP, 2 R, ER, BB, 3 K; Lewis IP, 2 BB, 2 K; Thomas IP.
Hitting
Port Angeles — S. Thomas 2-4, 2 R, 2 B, 3 RBI; Saterstrom 1-3, R, BB, 2B, 3 RBI; Takayoshi 3-3, R; Espinoza 2-3, R, BB, SB, RBI; Saunders 0-3, 2 HBP, SB, 2R.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Lefties pitcher Corey Sanchez throws in the second inning on Friday night against Driveline in Port Angeles.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Lefties’ Ricardo Amavizca makes it safely to first as Driveline first baseman Luis Mendendez bobbles the ball in the third inning on Friday at Port Angeles Civic Field.
