PORT ANGELES — After a day of torrential rain, the skies cleared, the sun came out, the field at Civic Field was in good shape and it turned into a near-perfect day for the Port Angeles Roughriders baseball team.
Perfect in every way except the final outcome. The Bremerton Knights overcame a 5-2 deficit late to win the season opener 9-5.
“It’s our first game. We have a lot of things to work out. We have a lot to work on, but it’s early,” said Port Angeles coach Casey Dietz.
Dietz said one positive he got out of the game was how his young team responded to their first game.
“We have a lot of guys without a lot of varsity experience. They handled themselves really well,” he said.
The Roughriders were in good shape early, up 5-2 entering the fifth inning. In the first inning, the Riders got behind 2-0 but came back in the bottom of the inning. Port Angeles loaded the bases then scored three runs on walks by Kole Acker and Hunter Robinson and a steal of home by Beckett Jarnigan.
Elijah Flodstrom had an RBI double in the second inning, scoring Michael Soule to make it 4-2, and Ezra Townsend scored on an error in the third to make it 5-2.
Bremerton hit back-to-back doubles in the fifth to drive in three runs and tie the game at 5-5. Bremerton added two more runs to make it 7-5 entering the bottom of the sixth.
The Riders had a couple of golden opportunities to retake the lead in the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn’t get the big hit to break the game open. Port Angeles loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth when John Vaara was hit by a pitch, Flodstrom hit a single and Acker walked. But Townsend struck out and Zach Glassock grounded out to end the threat.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bremerton stretched its lead to 9-5. Again, Port Angeles had a chance to get right back in the game, bringing the tying run to the plate.
With two outs in the seventh and the Knights looking to quickly close the game out, Soule walked, Beckett Jarnigan hit a single and Vaara walked.
The game ended on a controversial and strange play. Flodstrom hit a hard shot back to Bremerton pitcher Bryce Ells. The ball popped up in the air after it hit Ells. It appeared at first that Flodstrom was safe at first and Soule had come home for a run to make it 9-6. After an umpires’ conference, they ruled that the ball went off Ells’ foot, never hit the ground and was caught for an out, ending the game.
Flodstrom finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Soule scored two runs. Jarnigan had a hit, a run and two stolen bases. Vaara had a single and got on base two other times after being hit by pitches. Acker had two walks and an RBI. Robinson had a walk and RBI.
The Riders managed just five hits, but did draw 12 walks and got three other batters on base on hit batsmen.
On the mound, Flodstrom and Blake Meredith each pitched scoreless innings. Flodstrom struck out the side, while Meredith struck out two. Soule took the loss.
Port Angeles (0-1) will next play at Shelton at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Bremerton 9, Port Angeles 5
Brem. 2 0 0 0 3 2 2 — 9 11 2
PA 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 — 5 5 1
WP: Ulrita LP: Soule
Pitching
Brem. — Mclain 1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 K, 7 BB; Ulrita 5.2 IP, 2 H, 6 K, 5 BB; Ells 0.1 IP H.
PA — Jarnigan IP 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB; Meredith IP H, 0 ER, 2 K, BB; Flodstrom 1P H, 0 ER, 3 K, BB; Soule 2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, K; Acker 2 IP 2 H, 4 ER, K.
Hitting
PA — Flodstrom 3-4, 2 B, R, RBI, BB; Jarnigan 1-3, R, BB, 2 SB; Vaara 1-2, BB, 2 HBP; Acker 0-2, RBI, 2 BB; Robinson 0-1 RBI, BB.
Brem. — Ells 2-4, 2 R, RBI; Sorese 2-3 2 B, 2 R, RBI; Aquino 2-4 2 B, R, 2 RBI.
