By Pierre LaBossiere
Peninsula Daily News
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Two runs by the Corvallis Knights in the eighth inning were the difference as the Port Angeles Lefties lost a back-and-forth rubber game of their first three-game series 6-4.
The Lefties’ Dutton Elske hit his first home run in Friday’s game, a solo shot, while Taylor Adams had two RBIs.
Port Angeles (6-9) traveled to Walla Walla today to play the Sweets (after press deadline). They have an off-day Sunday as they travel to Victoria for a Monday game to close out a seven-game road trip.
The team will be back at Civic Field for a short three-game series against Bend starting at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday.
In Friday’s game the Lefties took a 2-0 lead in the third on Elske’s blast. Alec Chaney followed with a walk, took second on a wild pitch and then third on a groundout. Adams drove him home with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
Corvallis countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a solo home run by Jordan Qsar and a two-run single by Dillan Shrum.
The Lefties tied it at 3-3 in the seventh. Chaney started the rally with a single, then he stole second and came home on a Taylor Adams single.
Corvallis responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 4-3, but the Lefties rallied again with a run in the top of the eighth. Kato got on base with a single. He stole second and scored on an Aaron Charles single.
The Knights came right back with two runs in the bottom of the eighth on two unearned runs. Knights’ closer Chase Kaplan struck out two Lefties in the top of the ninth to slam the door shut, picking up the win.
Charles and Seth Freed each had a pair of hits in the game.
Port Angeles 7, Corvallis 4
CORVALLIS, Ore. — A grand slam home run by Brody Kato in the fourth inning helped boost the Lefties to a victory over the Knights.
Kato’s blast was the only extra-base hit in a game that featured a combined 22 hits.
Wyatt Haccou won his third game of the year for the Lefties, going six innings and giving up just one earned run with four strikeouts. Mikey Hooper pitched the final three innings, giving up no earned runs to pick up a save.
Kato smacked his grand slam in the third inning, his second home run of the year, after singles by Kevin Kendall, Austyn Tengan and Taylor Adams, to put Port Angeles up 4-1.
The Lefties tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth inning after Benny Kaleiwahea got on base on an error. Kaleiwahea stole second, then scored on a hit by Tengan. Mitchell Hagan, who got on base on a fielder’s choice, move to third base on the hit and came in to score on a Taylor Adams single.
In the seventh, the Lefties added another run on a Kaleiwahea bases-loaded walk, bringing home Jake Portaro, who had singled earlier in the inning.
Tengan, Adams and Kendall all had two hits in the game.
Game notes
Tengan is fourth in the West Coast League with a batting average of .432. Haccou is leading the WCL with three wins. His ERA is 0.93.
Corvallis 6, Port Angeles 4
Lefties 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 — 4 9 3
Knights 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 2 X — 6 10 2
WP: Kaplan LP: Kubo
Pitching
Lefties — Fralely 4IP, 5H, 3ER, 2BB; Walker 3IP, 4H, ER, 3K; Kubo 1IP, 0ER, 2K.
Knights — Cunningham 4IP, 4H, 2ER, BB, 4K; Richamn 2IP, 1H, BB, 3K; Howell 1IP, 2H, ER, K; Kaplan 2IP, 2H, ER, 3K.
Hitting
Lefties — Charles 2-4, RBI; Freed 2-4, 2SB; Adams 1-3, 2RBI; Kato 1-4, R, SB; Elske 1-2, HR, R, RBI; Chaney 1-3, 2R, BB; Portaro 1-3, 2B.
Knights — Alcantar 2-4, 2B; Shrum 2-3, 2R, 2B; Clauch 2-4; Wilkinson 1-4, HR, R, RBI, Qsar 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Port Angeles 7, Corvallis 4
Lefties 0 0 4 2 0 0 1 0 0 — 7 10 2
Knights 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 — 4 12 2
WP: Haccou LP: Fricke SV: Hooper
Pitching
Lefties — Haccou 6IP, 9H, 2R, ER, 0BB, 4K; Hooper 3IP, 3H, 2R, 2BB, K.
Knights — Fricke 3.2IP, 7H, 6R, 4ER, 2BB; Morales 2.2IP, 3H, ER, 2BB, 3K; Nelson 2.2IP, 5K.
Hitting
Lefties — Kato 2-4, HR, 4RBI, R; Tengan 2-3, BB, RBI, R; Adams 2-4, RBI, R; Portaro 1-3, R; Kendall 2-5; Hagan 0-4, 2R
Knights — Kelly 4-4, 2RBI; Cantwell 2-5, RBI, R; Qsar 1-5, 2R; Watson Jr. 1-3, 2BB, R; Duty 1-3.
