PORT ANGELES — Sequim’s Ethan Staples and Port Angeles’ Brian Guttormsen combined to allow only six hits.
In the end, the Roughriders had two timely hits that decided the game in a 5-2 victory at Civic Field on a crisp Tuesday night under the lights.
Guttormsen and Staples were both outstanding, though both pitchers did battle some wildness at times. Guttormsen went 5⅓ innings, allowing just one hit. He walked five and struck out six. Staples went five innings, allowing just four hits and striking out six. He uncharacteristically hit five batsmen and walked three, which came back to haunt him.
With the win, the Riders got back on the winning track after a tough loss Friday to defending state 1A champion Klahowya. Sequim’s three-game winning streak was brought to a halt.
Sequim had its chances to pull the game out late as the Wolves loaded the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings, but they couldn’t get the big hit to blow the game open.
“I just trusted my stuff. I went out there without a care,” said Guttormsen. “It’s Sequim, we’re home, we’re under the lights.”
“We were more competitive tonight,” said Port Angeles coach Zac Moore. “Brian came in here and did exactly what we knew he could do.”
“We left the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh, you can’t do that,” said Sequim coach Dave Ditlefsen. “Give credit to their pitcher, he kept us off balance. Our defense played well. Ethan hitting five guys was out of character.”
Ditlefsen likes how the Wolves have been playing. One or two big hits, they would have knocked off the Riders.
“This is a hard-working group of kids,” Ditlefsen said. “We’re still really young. We have only one senior.”
The Riders scored three runs in the second when Jordan Shumway singled and Rylan Politika and Alex Angevine walked to load the bases. Nathan Basden was hit by a pitch to drive in one run and then Colton Romero came up with a big blow, hitting a two-run single to right field to bring in Politika and Angevine.
With Basden on third base, Sequim pulled off a double rundown when Ezra Townsend missed a high pitch on an attempted squeeze. Basden got caught in a rundown and was tagged out, then Romero got hung up between second and third and the Wolves successfully ran him down for an unusual double play.
The game remained 3-0 until the fifth. Townsend hit a deep ball to the right field fence and legged it all the way to third for a triple. Kaleb Mullen hit a tough popup that landed in No Man’s Land for a hit. Townsend was not able to come in on the shallow fly.
Mullen moved to second on a stolen base and Shumway came up with his second hit of the game, a clutch two-out, two-run single to make it 5-0.
The Wolves finally broke though in the sixth as Guttormsen gave up walks to Lincoln Bear and Ayden Holland. Brayden White hit a single to load the bases and Brayden Martin came in to pitch for the Riders as Guttormsen was at 81 pitches.
Staples drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-1, but with the bases loaded and one out, Martin struck out Hunter Tennell and Devyn Dearinger to get out of the jam.
In the seventh, the Wolves put pressure on the Riders’ pitchers again. Bryant Laboy was hit by a pitch — there were eight hit batsmen in the game — and Angevine came in to close the game out for Port Angeles. He hit Zeke Schmadeke with a pitch and Bear fisted a flare single to shallow right field for a hit and an RBI. Holland was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, again with one out.
Angevine was able to end the threat by getting White to pop up and striking out Staples. Sequim finished with nine runners left on base.
With the win, the Riders remained tied for first place among the 2A teams in the Olympic League. Guttormsen got the win with Angevine collecting the save.
Port Angeles (5-1, 9-2) has an exceptionally busy week. They played a makeup game at North Kitsap on Wednesday, then play at Sequim (2-5, 4-5) in a rematch at 4:15 p.m. Friday. The Riders also host Bellevue at 1 p.m. Saturday, likely at Civic Field, but possibly at Volunteer Field.
Port Angeles 5, Sequim 2
Seq. 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 — 2 2 1
PA 0 3 0 0 2 0 x — 5 4 0
WP: Guttormsen. LP: Staples.
Pitching
Sequim — Staples 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 5 HBP; White IP, K.
PA — Guttormsen 5.1 IP, H, ER, 5 BB, 6 K; Martin 0.2 IP, ER, BB, 2 K, HBP; Angevine IP, H, 2 K, 2 HBP.
Hitting
Sequim — Bear 1-3, R, RBI, BB; White 1-3, BB; Staples 0-2, RBI, 2 BB.
PA — Shumway 2-2, R, 2 RBI, HBP; Romero 1-3, 2 RBI; Townsend 1-3, 3B, R, HBP; Basden 0-3, RBI, SB, HBP; Angevine 0-2, R, BB, HBP.
