SEQUIM — Production from up and down the potent Port Angeles softball lineup propelled the Roughriders to an 11-3 Rainshadow Rumble rivalry victory over Sequim on Wednesday.
Port Angeles (8-0, 11-1) piled up 16 hits by eight different players and took advantage of four errors by the Wolves to win its 43rd straight Olympic League 2A contest and move closer to clinching a fourth consecutive league title.
“It was a great game,” Riders coach Randy Steinman said.
“Sequim battled early. Izzy [Isabelle Dennis] does a great job of pitching, she keeps us off-balance, but eventually we figured her out and got to her a bit. We got some big hits, some errors helped too, got some good bunts and did some baserunning. It was a combination of a lot of things.”
Port Angeles senior center fielder and leadoff hitter Sierra Robinson went 3 for 5 with an RBI double and a stolen base.
Robinson said her team performed better as the game wore on.
“I loved how every inning we got more into the game and finally broke out and started hitting the ball,” Robinson said.
“We kind of had to warm up to her [Dennis] but once we did we went off.”
Timing is crucial against a crafty pitcher like Dennis, Robinson said.
“She throws a lot of off-speed pitches, she doesn’t throw a lot of fastballs. You see more changeups and off-speed pitches that are hard to get used to.”
Dennis’ efforts were hampered by four Sequim errors that allowed Riders’ runners to take extra bases, extend innings and pile up pressure.
Another mistake, a catcher’s interference call, erased the third out in the top of the fourth and allowed Port Angeles to tack on two additional runs and open up a 5-1 lead on a Natalie Steinman line-drive double down the left field line.
“Ella [Holland] gets on base on the interference call and then Natalie comes up right behind her and hits the double and drives in two,” Steinman said. “That was huge. And in the game of softball any little thing can change the dynamics of a game.”
The Riders received pop at the plate from No. 6 hitter Hope O’Connor who went 4 for 4 with a sharply hit single down the third-base line, an RBI double and a bunt.
“She had a base hit here, a base hit there, a bunt and a nice double,” Steinman said.
“Hope did it all, that was great.”
O’Connor also started the game and went three innings on the mound, allowing one run on one hit and four walks with two strikeouts.
Callie Hall came on in relief and earned the save, allowing two runs on five hits, with a walk and two strikeouts in four innings. Hall also added an RBI single.
“Callie came in and held them down,” Steinman said.
Dennis, Sequim’s leadoff hitter, led Sequim at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a walk and a two-RBI single, but the rest of the Wolves’ bats remained relatively tamed with only three other players generating base hits.
Port Angeles’ bench also got in on the action in the final inning.
Robinson doubled to right-center to open the inning and freshman Camille Stensgard drove her in with a sharply struck single to center.
“[Robinson’s last hit] was awesome wasn’t it,? Steinman said. “You could tell she was excited, too. That was pretty awesome. And Camille came in and ripped one.”
In the field, Aeverie Politika made two nifty catches at first base to help Hall close out the final frame.
Port Angeles hosts North Mason today.
Sequim (4-5, 4-11) hosts Kingston (0-7, 0-10) today.
Port Angeles 11, Sequim 3
PA 0 0 2 3 0 5 1 — 11 16 1
SEQ 0 0 1 0 0 2 0— 3 6 4
WP: O’Connor LP: Dennis SV: Hall
Pitching
Port Angeles — O’Connor 3 IP, R, H, 4BB, 2K; Hall 4IP, 2R, 5H, BB, 2K.
Sequim — Dennis 7 IP, 11R, 17H, BB, 2K.
Hitting
Port Angeles — O’Connor 4-4, 2B, RBI; Steinman 2-4, 2 2B, 4RBI; Robinson 3-5, 2B, SB, RBI; Stensgard 1-1, RBI; Edwards 1-5, RBI; Cargo-Acosta 2-4; Hall 1-4, RBI; Gray 1-3, ROE.
Sequim — Dennis 3-3, BB, 2RBI; Sparks 1-3, Opdyke 1-3, J. Dominguez 1-2, BB.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
