TACOMA — Port Angeles went toe-to-toe with eventual district champion Fife before falling to Orting 5-0 in the West Central District softball tournament’s third-place game at Sprinker Fields.
The Roughriders (15-7) will be the district’s fourth seed at this week’s state tournament in Selah, where they will open against the Lake Washington Kangaroos (18-1) on Friday at noon.
After three scoreless innings by both teams in the district semifinal Sunday, Port Angeles took a 1-0 lead over Fife (23-2) in the top of the fourth.
The Riders’ lead stood until a seven-run bottom of the fifth by the Trojans.
Port Angeles responded with three runs of its own in the top of the sixth to make it 7-5, but Fife plated three more runs in its half of the sixth and held that lead to win 10-5.
“The game was a lot closer than the score,” Port Angeles coach Randy Steinman said.
“Walks combined with errors in one inning was the difference in the game.”
The Riders committed three errors.
Haley Gray homered and had two RBIs in the loss for Port Angeles. Sarah Steinman, Alicia Howell and Nizhoni Wheeler added two hits apiece, including a triple by Howell and a double by Wheeler.
Wheeler pitched all six innings for the Riders, striking out seven and allowing seven hits.
In the third-place game later in the day, Orting (18-6) got some revenge for Port Angeles’ 14-2 blowout win in the district tournament last year.
The Cardinals scored once in the second and added one more in the fifth, another in the third and two in the seventh while keeping the Riders off the scoreboard.
“[We] just couldn’t get the clutch two-out hit to put some runs on the board,” Randy Steinman said.
“We had opportunities, but couldn’t capitalize on their mistakes.”
Ashlee Reid doubled for Port Angeles and Tori Kuch was 1 for 3 at the plate.
Following a rain delay that washed out the first day of games, Port Angeles opened districts Saturday against another familiar district foe.
For the second year in a row, the Riders beat Franklin Pierce (13-9) at districts, this time by a 10-3 score to qualify for state.
Carly Gouge was 2 for 4 with a triple and four RBIs for Port Angeles, which also had two hits from Sarah Steinman and Alicia Howell.
Steinman drove in two runs, while Howell, Gray and Wheeler each doubled.
Steinman also earned the win for the Riders, striking out four and holding the Cardinals to three hits in four innings.
Wheeler pitched the final three innings and fanned six.
Franklin Pierce committed six errors.
Wheeler, a freshman, was relied on heavily, pitching 16 of Port Angeles’ 20 innings in the district tournament.
She finished with 20 strikeouts and 17 hits in the tournament.
Orting 5, Port Angeles 0
Orting 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 — 5 8 2
Port Angeles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 5 3
WP- Kasner; LP- Wheeler
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Wheeler 7 IP, 8 H, 7 K, 4 BB.
Hitting Statistics
Orting: Lewis 1-4, 2 RBI; Smith 1-2, 2 BB, 2 R.
Port Angeles: Reid 1-3, 2B; Tori Kuch 1-3.
Fife 10, Port Angeles 5
Port Angeles 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 — 5 10 3
Fife 0 0 0 0 7 3 x — 10 7 0
WP- Kasner; LP- Wheeler
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Wheeler 6 IP, 7 H, 7 K, 5 BB.
Hitting Statistics
Fife: Lewis 1-4, 2 RBI; Smith 1-2, 2 BB, 2 R.
Port Angeles: Gray 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB; Steinman 2-4; Howell 2-4, 3B; Wheeler 2-4, 2B.
Port Angeles 10, Franklin Pierce 3
Franklin Pierce 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 — 3 5 6
Port Angeles 1 3 6 0 0 0 x — 10 9 0
WP- Steinman
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Steinman 4 IP, 3 H, 4 K; Wheeler 3 IP, 2 H, 6 K.
Hitting Statistics
Port Angeles: Gouge 2-4, 3B, 4 RBI; Steinman 2-4, 2 RBI; Howell 2-4, 2B; Gray 1-4, 2B; Wheeler 1-4, 2B.
