SEQUIM — Mia Pozernick’s two-out, three-run home run to deep center field with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning gave Sequim softball the lead and Sammy Bacon’s RBI double in the next frame offered insurance as the Wolves edged Port Angeles 7-6 at home Tuesday.
Sequim’s win snapped a seven-game Rainshadow Rumble rivalry losing streak to the Roughriders dating back to May 2, 2019.
The victory bumped Port Angeles (4-1, 9-1) out of its tie at the top of the Olympic League with North Kitsap (5-0, 8-0) and into a second-place tie with Olympic (4-1, 5-5). It also gave the Wolves (5-2, 5-3) hopes of playing a role in the league title chase down the back stretch of the season.
Early on in Tuesday’s matchup, the Riders took the lead on Lily Halberg’s first-inning RBI single to score Natalie Robinson.
Heidi Leitz nailed a two-run double to score Halberg and Lexie Smith for a 3-0 advantage after two innings.
Sequim broke onto the board when senior Hannah Bates singled and scored on pitcher Laney Vig’s lined triple. Vig then came home on a Taylee Rome sacrifice fly to cut into the Riders’ lead at 3-2.
Robinson singled and scored in the fifth, and Sequim’s Charly Sturm came across to again trim the Riders’ advantage back to one run at 4-3.
With Pozernick’s big bat coming to the plate, Port Angeles replaced starting pitcher Cheyenne Zimmer with Leitz and heroics ensued.
Bacon added a necessary insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, doubling home Angel Wagner for a 7-4 lead.
Riders’ last gasp
Down to their last at-bats, Port Angeles’ Robinson and Abby Kimball quickly reached on base hits. Vig induced two straight ground outs to put the pressure on the Riders. Lexie Smith and Ava-Anne Sheahan produced back-to-back RBI singles to make it 7-6 Sequim with runners in scoring position, but Vig got another ground out to close out the contest and lift the Wolves.
Port Angeles hosts Bremerton today, while Sequim visits Bainbridge.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at mcarman@ peninsuladailynews.com.
Umpire Randy Rooney calls Port Angeles baserunner Alexandria Money out after Sequim catcher Mikki Green blocked home plate and applied the tag in Sequim’s 7-6 softball win over Port Angeles on Tuesday. (Michael Dashiell/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Sequim catcher Mikki Green blocks the plate and applies the tag on Port Angeles baseunner Alexandria Money during the Wolves’ 7-6 softball win on Tuesday. (Michael Dashiell/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
