By Joe Traub
Port Angeles Lefties
BELLINGHAM — For eight innings Monday, it appeared the Port Angeles Lefties would cruise to a victory in the rubber match of a three-game series in Bellingham.
The Bells reminded the Lefties the final three outs of a game are the hardest to achieve, but Port Angeles was able to hang on for a 6–4 victory at Joe Martin Field.
Leading 6–1 to the bottom of the ninth, the Lefties’ Carter Loewen came in for the final three outs. He retired the leadoff hitter before five consecutive Bellingham batters reached safely via hits. The Bells’ Jack Machtolf singled in two runs to make it 6–4 before Collin Burns followed with a single of his own to put the tying run on base. Loewen was then able to get two consecutive ground balls, including one off the bat of Bells leading hitter Guthrie Morrison (.327) to end the game.
Port Angeles had its bats working early on Monday, pounding out nine hits (all singles) in the first three frames. C.J. Schauwecker drove in Nick DiPonzio with the first run of the game in the first inning, then the offense exploded in the third. Evan Hurn, Damiano Palmegiani, Alex Garcia, Trevor Rosenberg and Gavin Rork all knocked in runs in the five-run frame.
Lefties’ starting pitcher Nathan Bonck was excellent, giving up just five hits and one run in six innings of work.
With the win, Port Angeles improved to 8-7 in the second half. The Lefties remained two games behind the second-half division leading Wenatchee AppleSox, who also won Monday night.
The Lefties headed to Canada for the first of three games against the Kelowna Falcons beginning Tuesday. The Lefties will play the Falcons at Elks Stadium at 6:35 p.m. today.
Port Angeles 6, Bellingham 4
Lefties 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 6 11 0
Bells 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 — 4 10 1
WP: Bonck LP: Henckel
Pitching
Lefties — Bonck 6IP, ER, BB, 8K; Tresemer 2IP, 0H, K; Loewen 1IP, 5H, 3ER.
Bells — Henckel 2IP, 6H, 4ER, 3BB, K; Armbruester 5IP, 4H, 2ER, BB, 5K; Argomaniz 2IP, H.
Hitting
Lefties — Rork 2-5, SB; Hurn 2-4, R, RBI; Rosenberg 2-4, RBI; Christian 1-4, R, HBP, 2SB; Schauwecker 1-2, R, RBI, 2BB; Diponzio 1-4, R, BB, SB; Halligan 1-4, R, BB, SB; Palmegiani 1-4, R, RBI.
Bells — Hinkelman 2-4, R, 2B; Morrison 2-4; Kretzschmar 1-5, R; Marshall 1-3, R, RBI; Machtolf 1-2, 2RBI.
