PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Lefties got into a wild, back-and-forth slugfest with the Kamloops NorthPaws on Sunday afternoon as the NorthPaws scored six runs in the eighth inning to win 10-9.
The Lefties are off to an 0-3 start to the season, but they showed after being shut out in the season opener Friday that they can hit and score as they pounded out 22 hits Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday’s game featured 24 hits, 11 walks and nearly 40 baserunners. The Lefties had 14 of those hits. They had a chance in the bottom of the ninth as they scored a run on a bases-loaded two-out walk. Kamloops got a strikeout to finally end the threat and the game.
Levi Joyce (Edmonds CC) was 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs, while Garrett Cooper (Bremerton) was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Jay O’Neill (Georgia Gwinnett) was 2-for-6, while Ivy Leaguer Jack Edmunds (Brown University was 2-for-5.
The Lefties (0-3) are off Monday and return to Civic Field at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday against another Canadian team, the Nanaimo NightOwls.
Saturday’s Game
The Lefties got off to a fast start Saturday, taking a 4-0 lead after a big second inning, but they couldn’t hold the lead in an 11-5 loss to the NorthPaws.
The Lefties had four hits and two walks and two runs came in on a wild pitch. Levi Joyce and Sam Matosich (Centralia College) each had RBI singles.
Kamloops battled back with two runs in the third and fourth innings and four more in the sixth.
Joyce finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs while Chanz Doughty (Stony Brook) had a double and run scored.
On the mound, there were some familiar names from last season. One of those returning players, Josh Verkuilen (Cal State, San Bernardino), took the loss, giving up four earned runs in an inning and two-thirds.
Pitching well in relief were returnees John Vaara (Port Angeles High School, Edmonds CC), Quentin Moreland (Bridgeport) and returnee Jack Joyce (Linn-Benton CC). They went the final three innings, allowing zero earned runs and striking out four.
Starting the game was Ian Hofstetter (Chaffey College). He went three innings and allowed two earned runs while striking out four.
Friday’s Game
The Lefties were shut out in their West Coast League opener, but there was plenty of fun at Civic Field with the new video scoreboard and Italian beef sandwiches straight out of “The Bear.”
The Lefties fell to the Kamloops NorthPaws 8-0. The pitching for the Lefties was actually not the problem as four hurlers allowed just four earned runs and struck out seven. Six errors helped the NorthPaws score four unearned runs. Kamloops didn’t have any big innings, scoring one run in the first, second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, then adding two in the ninth.
The Lefties managed six hits with O’Neill going 2-for-3 on the day.
Returning player Jeremy Giesegh from Cal State, San Bernardino, the best hitter for the Lefties last season, had a hit.
Also collecting hits were Joyce, Matosich and Edmunds.
Starting the game on the mound was Seth Wrightstone of Vanguard University. He went four innings and allowed seven hits and one earned run. He struck out three.
Kamloops 8, Port Angeles 0
Kam. 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 — 8 12 2
PA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —0 6 6
Pitching
Port Angeles —Wrightstone 4 IP, 7 H, ER, 3 K; Sato 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K; Seay 2 IP, 2 H, ER, Lopez 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
Hitting
Port Angeles —O’Neill 2-3, Edmunds 1-3, Giesegh 1-4, Joyce 1-4, Matosich 1-4.
KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Lefties catcher Jack Edmunds tries to block Kamloops’ Joey Marino as he slides home as Kamloops batter Cade Palkowski keeps watch on Friday evening at Port Angeles Civic Field.
KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Lefties first baseman Eric Valdivia, left, catches Kamloops baserunner Ethan Kodama off the bag for an out during Friday night’s home opener at Port Angeles Civic Field.
