PORT ANGELES — After seeing their series opener with the Yakima Valley Pippins postponed due to rain, the Port Angeles Lefties had double the fun on Wednesday.
The Lefties rode outstanding pitching, two Matt Christian home runs and a timely error to a doubleheader sweep of Yakima Valley, winning by final scores of 4–1 and 5–4.
Port Angeles only had two hits in the opening game, but they were both clutch.
Following a walk and hit batter in the home half of the first inning, Christian deposited a Mark Finkelnburg offering over the left-field wall to give the Lefties a 3–1 lead.
Christian, a returner from the 2018 Lefties, then doubled in the sixth inning, stole third and scored on a throwing error.
Christian’s heroics were more than enough for Frankie Scalzo, who was in control from the get-go.
Scalzo threw a complete game three-hitter in the seven-inning contest, facing just two batters over the minimum.
He did not walk a batter and struck out six. Only two balls left the infield against Scalzo, who improved his ERA to a team-leading 1.80.
The Pippins plated three runs (one earned) against Kyle Hamrick in the first inning of the nightcap, but Christian once again had an answer.
He hit another three-run shot in the bottom of the first, also to left field, to tie the game at 3.
The teams traded single tallies in the fourth with Trevor Rosenberg plating Nick DiPonzio via a base hit for the Lefties.
With the score still tied in the final scheduled inning of the doubleheader, Gavin Rork led off with an infield single and advanced on a throwing error.
Evan Hurn walked and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Nick Brown then struck out Charlie Nasuti before intentionally walking Christian.
After C.J. Schauwecker struck out, Ethan Groff hit a bouncer to short that went off the glove of Tanner Parker for a game-ending error and a walk-off win.
The Lefties went for the series sweep late Thursday and will be back at it tonight in the opener of a three-game set with the Bend Elks at 6:35 p.m.
