SILVERDALE — The Port Angeles baseball boys are headed back to state, thanks to a five-run sixth inning and a five-RBI day from slugger Ethan Flodstrom.
Flodstrom had a double and a home run and went 3 for 4 on the day as the Roughriders beat Steilacoom 11-6 in their West Central District III 2A Tournament opener Saturday.
Because the Riders went into the tournament as the Olympic League 2A Division champions with a No. 1 seed, they got a bye. So, with Saturday’s win, they have already qualified for the 2A state tournament.
The Riders aren’t done yet at district, however, as they have games remaining for seeding position. Port Angeles plays North Mason on Saturday with the winner going to the West Central District III championship later that day. The Roughriders have beaten North Mason twice this season, but the Bulldogs have been hot at the district tournament, crushing Lindbergh 15-6 and White River 6-0.
In fact, all four Olympic League 2A teams in the tournament are still alive. Sequim split two games Saturday, losing to Fife 4-1 and beating Orting 10-3 to keep their state tournament hopes alive. North Kitsap also is still going in the consolation bracket.
In the Port Angeles game, the Riders got ahead 6-0 after four innings as starting pitcher Brody Merritt cruised through the early innings. Then Port Angeles gave up four unearned runs in the top of the fifth as Steilacoom made it a game at 6-4.
The Roughriders responded with five runs in the bottom of the sixth to blow the game open. The big blow was a three-run bomb hit by Flodstrom.
In addition to Flodstrom’s pyrotechnics, Bo Bradow went 2 for 3, including a double, and Lucas Jarnigan continued his recent hot streak, going 2 for 3 with an RBI. Gavin Guerrero was 2 for 4 with three runs scored and an RBI and Tyler Bowen was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.
On the mound, Merritt went six innings, striking out eight and giving up four hits and no earned runs. Hayden Woods pitched the seventh, giving up two hits and no earned runs.
The Riders’ (12-0, 17-4) next game will be back at Lobe Field at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds at 11 a.m. Saturday. If Port Angeles beats North Mason (6-6, 12-10), the Roughriders will play in the WCD III championship game at 5 p.m. Saturday. If they lose that North Mason game, they will play for third place, also at 5 p.m. River Ridge and Fife are the other two teams alive in the winners’ bracket.
Port Angeles 11, Steilacoom 6
Steil. 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 — 6 6 0
PA 1 0 2 3 0 5 x — 11 13 3
WP: Merritt LP: Perez
Pitching
Steilacoom — Perez 4IP, 8H, 6ER, 4K, 3BB; Rady 1IP, 4H, 4ER, 2BB; Bujicich 1IP, H, 2K.
Port Angeles — Merritt 6IP, 4H, 0ER, 8K, 3BB; Woods 1IP, 2H, 0ER, K.
Hitting
Steilacoom — Jacobs 3-4, 2RBI; Brady 1-4, R, 2RBI; McCown 1-4, 2R.
Port Angeles — Flodstrom 3-4, 2B, HR 2R, 5RBI; Guerrero 2-4, 3R, RBI, SB; Bradow 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB; Bowen 2-4, R, RBI; Jarnigan 2-3, RBI, HBP; Whitman 0-1, R, RBI, 2BB; Wood 1-3, R, 2BB; Hall 1-4, R.
Sequim 10, Orting 3
Fife 4, Sequim 1
TACOMA — After losing their first-round game 4-1 to Fife in a pitchers’ duel, the Wolves responded by scoring eight runs in the sixth and seventh innings against Orting to win 10-3, staying alive in the postseason.
In the Orting game, Sequim appeared locked in another pitchers’ duel, up just 2-1 entering the sixth inning. But the Wolves broke through for three runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Brandon Barnett and a two-run error by Orting.
The Wolves gave themselves a huge cushion with five more runs in the seventh inning to take a commanding 10-1 lead. Michael Grubb had a two-run double in the seventh, while Silas Thomas, Austin Newton and Colton Reed all had RBI singles.
Thomas went the entire game on the mound, allowing seven hits and three earned runs, while striking out five and walking one.
At the plate, Brandon Barnett was 3 for 5 with a run scored and two RBIs while Grubb was 2 for 3 with a double, three runs scored, two RBIs, two stolen bases and two walks. Johnnie Young was 2 for 3 with two walks and Thomas was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Newton was 2 for 5 with an RBI.
In the Fife game, the Wolves managed just four hits, while getting struck out 13 times by Fife’s Judah Graham and Gavin Knapp. Johnnie Young took the loss, but he pitched well enough to win, going a complete six innings and giving up just three earned runs on nine hits and two walks. Young also had a triple at the plate.
Sequim (7-5, 13-8) now needs to win two straight in the WCD III consolation bracket to qualify for the 2A state tournament. The Wolves play Lindbergh (11-2, 12-5), the champions of the South Puget Sound League North Division, at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. If Sequim wins that game, the Wolves move on to another loser-out game May 11 against the winner of North Kitsap and Eatonville.
Sequim 10, Orting 3
Sequim 0 0 2 0 0 3 5 — 10 13 1
Orting 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 — 3 7 5
WP: Thomas LP: Budnick
Pitching
Orting — Budnick 4IP, 5H, ER, 6K, 4BB; Allemand 3IP, 8H, 6ER, 2K, 3BB.
Sequim — Thomas 7IP, 7H, 3ER, 5K, BB.
Hitting
Orting — Budnick 2-3, RBI; Lalone 1-4, 2RBI; Amburgey 1-3, R; Marsh 1-3, R; Leonard 1-4, R.
Sequim — Barnett 3-5, R, 2RBI; Grubb 2-3, 2B, 3R, 2RBI, 2SB; Johnnie Young 2-3, 2BB; Thomas 2-3, 2R, RBI; Oliver 1-4, R, BB.
Fife 4, Sequim 1
Sequim 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 4 2
Fife 1 1 1 1 0 0 x — 4 9 2
WP: Graham LP: J. Young
Pitching
Sequim — J. Young 6IP, 9H, 3ER, K, 2BB.
Fife — Graham 5IP, 4H, 0ER, 8K, 4BB; Knapp 2IP, 0H, 5K.
Hitting
Sequim — J. Young 1-4 3B; M. Young 1-4, Eaton 1-3; Oliver 1-2; Rollness 0-0, R.
Fife — Larson 2-3, 2R; Graham 2-3, RBI; Guerrero 2-2, 2R, RBI, BB; Henington 1-3, RBI; Bedell 1-4, RBI.
