PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Roughriders baseball team hung close to Peninsula for much of the game, but in the end, the Seahawks’ aggressive baserunning and lack of timely hits from the Riders doomed Port Angeles in a 7-1 loss Friday.
The Riders followed up playing much better on the road Saturday, falling 6-4 to another 3A team in Gig Harbor.
Peninsula, a good team with an 8-4 record at the 3A level, held a 3-0 lead for most of the game, breaking it open with a three-run sixth inning and a home run in the seventh inning by Payton Knowles. Knowles’ home run was really the only big hit all day by the Seahawks as they took a lot of extra bases on passed balls and errors. The Riders got some runners in scoring position several times during the game, but couldn’t break through with a run until the seventh inning.
Port Angeles pitcher John Vaara throws in the first inning against Peninsula on Friday in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
In the seventh, the Riders got the bases loaded with a chance for a big inning but were only able to plate one run.
Playing on a day that was at times sunny, rainy, blustery and bitterly cold, Port Angeles got off to a great start as Beckett Jarnigan belted a leadoff double that rolled under the outfield fence for a ground-rule double.
Elijah Flodstrom followed up with a near-home run, hitting a towering drive to left field into the teeth of the wind. The ball hung up and was caught a couple of feet in front of the fence, moving Jarnigan to third.
John Vaara was hit by a pitch, but with runners at first and third and only one out, the Riders were not able to score as pinch runner Blake Merideth was thrown out at second and Cole Johnson struck out. It was emblematic of the whole day as Port Angeles was not able to take advantage of opportunities.
Coach Casey Dietz thought the team got off to a slow start, allowing the Seahawks three early runs primarily through errors and a dropped third strike.
“We were not at our best. We had a hard time early. You can’t start slow and then turn it on at the end of the game,” he said. “There’s something to learn from every loss.”
Vaara went two innings to start, taking the loss. He gave up three runs on a pair of hits. Kole Acker was effective, going three scoreless innings and keeping the Roughriders very much in the game until the sixth inning. Acker allowed just one hit over his first three innings and ended up striking out five. He finally got touched up in the sixth for three runs.
In the fourth, Vaara and Acker got on base on an error and a seeing-eye pop up single, but the Riders couldn’t drive them in. Michael Soule hit a solid double in the fifth, but again he was left stranded as Flodstrom hit a long fly ball to deep center that was caught for the inning’s final out.
The Seahawks’ baserunning finally was too much for the Roughriders in the sixth. A single, passed ball and another single down the left-field line led to a run. After a walk, another passed ball and an error led to two more Seahawks runs.
Flodstrom hit the ball hard all game. It finally paid off for him in the seventh as he had the Riders’ lone RBI with a sharp single up the middle with the bases loaded.
Gig Harbor 6, Port Angeles 4
Dietz said the Riders played much better Saturday.
“It was a much better game offensively against what I believe was better pitching,” he said.
Dietz said the difference in the game was a couple of defensive errors by the Riders. “In tight games against good teams, you can’t do that,” he said.
Jarnigan was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a single, while Kaleb Mullen was 2-for-4 and James Burkhardt was 2-for-3. Ezra Townsend had a hit and two RBIs, while Joseph Ritchie had a good defensive game at the catcher position, according to Dietz. Ritchie also contributed a pair of singles and an RBI.
On the mound, Kolton Romero started but tweaked his back. Burkhardt came in to pitch and gave the Riders some good innings, limiting the base on balls.
Port Angeles (2-3, 4-6) returns to Olympic 2A League action by hosting rival Sequim (0-6, 1-8) at 6:30 p.m. today at Civic Field. Forecast for the game is partly sunny but cold with temperatures possibly dropping into the upper 30s.
Peninsula baserunner Payton Knowles, center, gets chased by Port Angeles shortstop Michael Soule as second baseman Colton Romero looks on after Knowles was caught in a rundown between second and third and eventually tagged out in the first inning on Friday at Port Angeles Civic Field. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Port Angeles first baseman Cole Johnson, left, receives the throw in an attempt to catch Peninsula baserunner Dakota Ortwein off the bag in the first inning on Friday in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
