SEQUIM — Sequim shook off any lingering effects from its three-game losing skid and rallied to snap rival Port Angeles’ five-game win streak in a 4-2 Olympic League 2A Division baseball victory.
“Last week, we suffered sort of a lull offensively, so it was nice to see the kids swing their way out of it,” Wolves coach Dave Ditlefsen said of Monday’s game.
Sequim (2-2, 6-4) starting pitcher Nigel Christian was instrumental on the mound and at the plate in the win.
He beat out an infield single to start the Wolves’ sixth-inning rally against Roughriders reliever Curan Bradley, and moved to second base when Ian Dennis was hit by a pitch.
Christian then stole third base, and scored the eventual game-winning run on an RBI single by Logan Hankinson.
An error in the outfield on the play brought home an insurance run for Sequim.
Christian was in command on the mound as well, tossing a complete-game seven-hitter, striking out three and
walking none.
“We just didn’t seem to adjust to Nigel very well,” Port Angeles coach Vic Reykdal said.
“He really mixed his pitches very well. He threw a lot of off-speed stuff to us, and then he’d throw that fastball by us.”
Ditlefsen appreciated the Centralia College-bound Christian’s output.
“He was very efficient with his pitches and threw lots of strikes,” Ditlefsen said.
“I think he ended up with only about 82 pitches, a complete game with 82 pitches, so that’s really being economical, that’s throwing a lot of strikes and letting them put the ball in play and letting the defense work.”
The Riders did manage to strike first, plating two runs in the top of the second.
Port Angeles loaded the bases on singles by Corey Stone and Travis Paynter, followed by a perfectly-executed bunt by Janson Pederson down the third-base line
“I felt like runs were going to be a commodity, so I was willing to sacrifice an out there and move the runners over,” Reykdal said.
“But Janson laid down a beautiful bunt and then Colton [McGuffey] came through with a nice single.”
McGuffey’s RBI single, a sharply struck shot down the third-base line, had extra-base hit written all over it, but Sequim third baseman James Thayer knocked it down to prevent further damage.
“If that had gone down the line we probably would have had a couple more [runs] there,” Reykdal said.
A sacrifice fly by Ryan Rodocker accounted for the second Port Angeles run of the inning.
Christian answered in the bottom of the second, roping a leadoff triple to the wall off fellow starting pitcher Paynter.
“Nigel, his bat had been struggling, but he put a couple of hard shots into play today,” Ditlefsen said.
Christian later scored on a two-out single by Thayer.
“James Thayer had a little bit of a rough week last week, but we have all the confidence in him, so it was great to see him make that play at third base and then get that two-out RBI single at the plate,” Ditlefsen said.
Evan Hurn opened the bottom of the fourth for the Wolves with a ground-rule double to right-center, that was followed by a walk to Daniel Harker.
Christian bashed what looked to be a run-scoring shot to deep left-center, but Rodocker tracked the ball down and made a diving catch to save a couple of runs.
It was the second strong play in the outfield by Rodocker.
“Rod made that little shoe-stringer earlier, and that one, the one he went back on the deep shot, that was a dandy,” Reykdal said.
An RBI single from Hankinson, who finished 2 for 3, scored Hurn and knotted the game at 2-apiece.
Reykdal made the decision to pull Paynter with one out in the sixth.
“They were getting to him,” Reykdal said.
“His outside stuff, he wasn’t getting it over for strikes like he normally does.
“He got the one out, but I wasn’t going to have him face Nigel again. Nigel just seemed to have him figured out. He hit him hard all day.”
Sequim scored two runs on Bradley.
Christian scored on Hankinson’s second RBI single, and the second run came on the same play when Rodocker, now playing right field, failed to field the ball cleanly in the wind, scoring Dennis.
“He had a really good game,” Ditlefsen said of Hankinson.
“He’s been really consistent so far for us this year and has earned the opportunity to get a lot of good at-bats.”
Port Angeles’ last-chance at-bat came to a quick close when Rodocker grounded into a double play to end the game.
“They hit the ball better than we did today, they barreled it up,” Reykdal said.
“They hit Travie [Paynter] and they got to Curan.
“They ran themselves out of a couple innings, too, another couple of chances for runs.”
Ditlefsen was happy to see production from veterans like Christian and Hurn.
“If we can get all these guys going at the same time, we can go on a run,” Ditlefsen said.
Sequim (2-2, 6-4) and Port Angeles (2-1, 5-2) will again play at Civic Field in Port Angeles at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 27.
Sequim 4, Port Angeles 2
Port Angeles 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 — 2 7 1
Sequim 0 1 0 1 0 2 x — 4 9 1
WP- Christian; LP- Bradley
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Paynter 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K; Bradley 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 HBP, 2 K.
Sequim: Christian 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 3 K.
Hitting Statistics
Port Angeles: McGuffey 2-3, RBI; Stone 1-3, R; Rodocker 0-2, SF, RBI; Pederson 2-3, 2B; Paynter 1-3, R; Bradley 1-3.
Sequim: Christian 2-3, 3B, 2 R, SB; Hankinson 2-3, 2 RBI; Thayer 1-2, BB, RBI; Hurn 1-3, 2B, R; Velarde 1-3, 2B, SB; Dennis 0-2, HBP, R.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 57050 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
