PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles pounded out 10 hits but stranded 11 baserunners in a 3-1 loss to the Bend Elks at Civic Field in the second game of a three-game series Wednesday night.
Bend got to Lefties’ starting pitcher Andrew Zmuda in their opening at-bats in the top of the first.
Zmuda took Elks leadoff batter Derek Chapman to a full count before yielding a walk.
Chapman moved to second and third on a pair of groundouts and after another walk to Jordan Freese, Chapman scored on Niko Holm’s RBI single to left field.
Zmuda rebounded for a three-pitch strikeout of Rocco Ferrari to get out of the inning.
Bend plated two more in the top of the third.
Zach Clayton opened the inning with a leadoff infield single and Zmuda walked Colin Runge and allowed a single to center to Freese to load the bases with none out.
Zmuda then got some help from his defense, getting Niko Holm to ground into a 6-4-3 double play while Clayton scored.
Ferrari then drove a single to left to score Runge.
Zmuda went four innings on the mound for Port Angeles, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out one.
The Lefties scored their lone run in the bottom half of the third. Austyn Tengan singled to center with one out, Seth Freed singled to left and after a popfly to first base, Seattle University product Michael Ciancio doubled to left to score Tengan with two outs.
Ciancio bumped his average to .304 with the double, one of his three hits on the night.
Freed also had three hits and is hitting .325 for Port Angeles.
Left fielder Brody Kato went 2 for 4 with a double.
Port Angeles managed to get at least one runner on base in the fourth through eighth innings but couldn’t muster any more runs.
Bend pitcher Kyle Cantu earned the win by going 5 2/3 innings and allowing just one run on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Elks pitchers Matthew Kirk and Khalil Rivera combined to throw 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Stingy relievers
Brandon Reynolds kept the Lefties in the game by throwing four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk and striking out three.
Reynolds has a 1.17 ERA on the season having allowed just two runs in 7 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
Nick Bonniksen also tossed a scoreless inning, getting out of trouble after allowing two hits. Bonniksen (3-0) has a 1.47 ERA in 18.1 innings pitched.
On the road again
The Lefties (8-11) wrapped up their short homestand against the Elks late Thursday night.
Port Angeles will visit the Cowlitz Black Bears (6-9) for a three-game series starting today.
It is the first game of a three-city, nine-game road swing with other stops at Wenatchee (June 27-29) and Bend (June 30-July 2).
The Lefties will return home July 4 for the first of 19 contests at Civic Field in July.
Players of the Week
The West Coast League Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 12-18 are future Florida International University outfielder Austin Shenton of the Bellingham Bells and Western Oregon University frosh pitcher Kade Mechals of the Kelowna Falcons.
Shenton, who starred this past spring at Bellevue College, leads the West Coast League in batting with a sizzling .548 average. He went 9 for 13 this past week with a homer and 8 RBI.
Bend 3, Port Angeles 1
Elks 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 — 3 8 0
Lefties 0 0 1 0 0 0 0— 1 10 1
WP: Cantu LP: Zmuda Sv: Rivera
Pitching
Elks — Cantu 5.2IP, ER, 8H, 2BB, 4K; Kirk 2.1IP, 2H, 2K; Rivera IP.
Lefties — Zmuda 4IP, 3ER, 5H, 4B, K; Reynolds 4IP, H, BB, 3K; Bonniksen IP, 2H.
Hitting
Elks — Chapman 1-4, 2B, BB, R; Holm 1-4, 2RBI; Runge 1-3, BB, R;
Lefties — Freed 3-5; Ciancio 3-4, 2B, RBI; Roby 1-3, Kato 2-4, 2B; Tengan 1-5, R.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
