PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Lefties took command early with a six-run third inning, but Bellingham rallied with seven runs late to come from behind in a wild slugfest to sweep the three-game series at Civic Field 11-8.
Sunday’s game featured 23 total hits, 46 baserunners and 15 pitchers as batters ruled the day in a game that lasted 3 hours, 22 minutes. The Lefties had a couple of heartbreakers this weekend as they also lost Saturday when the Bells scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Lefties’ stalwarts Jeremy Giesegh (Cal State, San Bernardino), Roberto Garza-Nunez (Embry Riddle) and Ethan Kodama (California-Berkeley) all had big games, but the Lefties’ bullpen was not able to hold a 7-2 lead. The Lefties used a total of nine pitchers who gave up 13 hits, three hit batsmen and nine walks.
Joshua Verkuilen (Chaffey College) started and pitched well, going five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out two. He did walk six but maintained a 2.16 season ERA after the game. That is good for sixth in the West Coast League.
The Lefties scored in the fourth on an RBI single by Garza-Nunez, a two-run double by Kodama and three more runs on two bases-loaded walks and a based-loaded hit batsman.
Giesegh remained hot, going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored. After going 7-for-8 Saturday and Sunday, Giesegh, who has been near the top of the hitting leaderboard all season, raised his average by 31 points and is now leading the West Coast League with a batting average of .373. He also leads the WCL in hits with 44.
Garza-Nunez finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, a walk and two RBIs while Julio Vasquez (Henderson State) was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a walk. Jack Kleveno (Utah) had a hit, a run scored, a walk and an RBI. Kodama added a sacrifice fly for three RBIs on the day.
The Lefties (6-23, 0-3 second half) were off Monday as they are on a short three-day road trip to Kamloops, B.C., to take on the NorthPaws (9-20, 2-1 second half) beginning at 6:35 p.m. today. They return home Friday for a three-game series at Civic Field against the NorthPaws.
Bellingham 11, Port Angeles 8
B’ham 0 0 2 1 1 4 1 2 0 — 11 13 1
PA 1 0 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 8 10 4
WP: Hernandez. LP: Acker. SV: Svinth.
Pitching
Bellingham — Swaim 2.1 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, BB; Simonsen 0.2 IP, 2 BB, K; Hernandez 3 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, K; Goldberg IP, H, K; Young IP, H, BB, K; Svinth IP, BB.
Port Angeles — Verkuilen 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 2 K; McCormack 0.0 IP, 3 H, 3ER; Acker IP 2 H 2 ER, BB; Schumann 0.1 IP; Hagopian 0.2 IP, H; Sato 0.1 IP H, 2 ER, BB; Anderson 0.0 IP BB; Lopez 0.2 IP, H, 2 K; Wike IP, H, 2 K.
Hitting
Bellingham — Mallonee 2-3, 3 R, RBI; Kirkpatrick 2-6, R; Majia 2-5, R, 2 RBI; Martin 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB; Bower 2-4, R, 2 RBI.
Port Angeles — Giesegh 3-4, 2B, 2 R; Garza-Nunez 204, R, 2 RBI; Vasquez 2-4, 2B, RBI, BB; Kodama 1-4, 2B, R, SF, 3 RBI; Kleveno 1-2, R, RBI, BB, HBP.
