PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Lefties played the Victoria HarbourCats, coming back from a late 3-1 deficit to send the game to extra innings, but the Cats picked up a run in the 10th inning to win 4-3.
The Lefties had the winning run 90 feet away in the bottom of the ninth inning, but couldn’t bring him in.
The trio of starter Dom Pieto (Long Island Univ.), Brock Mayer (Chaffey College) and CJ Lewis (Jackson State) pitched great for Port Angeles, giving up seven hits and three earned runs in 10 innings while striking out a combined eight batters. Lewis, who pitched the final three innings and struck out four, took the hard-luck loss.
Victoria held a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning when the Lefties rallied for a pair of runs when B.Y. Choi (Dallas Baptist) walked and Owen Allsup (West Texas A&M) followed up with a two-run home run to make it 3-3.
Allsup earlier in the game had an RBI single. He has been red-hot in his past couple of games, going 4-for-8 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs.
The Lefties had a golden chance to end the game in the bottom of the ninth. Roberto Nunez (Embry-Riddle) got on base with a walk. He stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch. But with two outs and Allsup up at the plate, he hit a popup to the pitcher to end the threat.
In the top of the 10th, Victoria scored a run on a walk, a passed ball moving the runner to second and then an RBI single. Victoria pitcher Logan MacNiel struck out the side to pick up the victory.
It was the second extra-inning loss of the year for the Lefties.
Allsup finished the game 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs. Nunez had a double, a stolen base and a walk, while Derek Gifford (Howard Payne), Chris Schuchart (San Mateo College), Kamden Koester (Neosho County CC) and Zachary Kim (Chicago Univ.) all had hits.
Port Angeles (2-9) wrapped up its home series against Victoria on Wednesday night after press deadline. They have today off for a long trip to Kamloops, B.C., to begin a three-game series against the NorthPaws (2-8) at 6:35 p.m. Thursday. The Lefties return to Civic Field on Tuesday for a six-game homestand beginning with three games against the Nanaimo NightOwls.
Note: Nunez (15-for-36) and Gifford (5-for-12) are both leading the Lefties with identical .417 batting averages. Nunez is fourth in the West Coast League in batting average and tied for second in RBIs (9).
Victoria 4, Port Angeles 3
Vic. 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 — 4 7 1
PA 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 — 3 7 5
WP: MacNiel LP: CJ Lewis
Pitching
Victoria — Seward 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K; Dai 2 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 2 K; Harvey IP, H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K; MacNiel 3 IP, BB, 5 K.
Port Angeles — Pieto 5.1 IP 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K; Mayer 1.2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K; Lewis 3 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
Hitting
Victoria — Young 2-3, BB, HBP; SB; Caley 1-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB; Pirruccello 1-3, RBI, 2 BB; Hall 1-5, RBI.
Port Angeles — Allsup 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, HBP; Nunez 1-4, 2B, BB, SB; Schuchart 1-5; Koester 1-4; Z. Kim 1-4, R.
