YAKIMA — A Port Angeles comeback from a six-run inning made the Pippins nervous but fell short in a 7-5 loss as the Lefties’ road struggles continue.
The Lefties were locked in a 0-0 tie with the Pippins until the fifth inning as starter Trayson Kubo was dealing, giving up only one hit in the first four innings and striking out four. The Lefties took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth when Trace Eldredge walked, stole second and then came home to score on a Aki Buckson double. Buckson scored when Michael Ciancio doubled.
The Pippins took advantage of several Lefties’ miscues in the bottom of the fifth, including a hit batsman, two walks, a passed ball, two errors and a wild pitch to score six runs. Kubo left giving up six runs, with only one run earned.
The Lefties bounced right back in the sixth inning, however. Thomas Martin got on with an error and Jordan Ackerman walked. Brian Hill drove them both in with a double. Hill came in to score later on an error.
But that was all the damage the Lefties could do. The Pippins added an insurance run in the eighth. After a leadoff walk by the Lefties’ Benny Kaleiwahea in the ninth, they had their chances with the tying run at the plate, but Pippins closer Connor White got two strikeouts and a popup to end the threat.
Ciancio went 2 for 5 in the game with a double and an RBI, while Eldredge was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Kaleiwahea was 2 for 4 with a walk. Hill was 1 for 4 with a double, a run and two RBIs.
Kubo only gave up one earned run in 4 2/3 innings, while Isaac Olson went 3 1/3 innings, giving up one run on three hits. Kubo and Olson gave up just six hits, but were hurt by a combined nine walks, three wild pitches and a hit batsman.
The Lefties had Tuesday off while they travel to Gresham. They play the Gresham Greywolves at 6:35 p.m. today.
Yakima Valley 7, Port Angeles 5
Lefties 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 — 5 10 2
Pippins 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 x — 7 6 5
WP: Landis LP: Kubo
Pitching
Lefties — Kubo 4.2IP 3H, ER, 5BB, 4K; Olson 3.1IP, 3H, ER, 4BB.
Pippins — Landis 5IP, 7H, 2ER, BB, 2K; Jones 1.2IP, H, BB, K; Minella 1.1IP, 2H, BB, K; White 1IP, BB, 2K.
Hitting
Lefties — Eldredge 2-3, R, BB, SB; Ciancio 2-5, 2B, RBI; Kaleiwahea 2-4, BB; Buckson 1-5, 2B, R, RBI; Ackerman 1-4, R, BB; Hill 1-4, 2B, R, 2RBI, BB.
Pippins — Ellis 2-3, R, RBI; Beesley 1-4, R, RBI; Otsuka 1-4, R, RBI; Denney 1-3, R, BB.
Peninsula Daily News
