PORT ANGELES — For the second straight year, Port Angeles is the Olympic League softball champion.
This time, though, the Roughriders don’t have to share the league title.
They weren’t the only area team to clinch a league championship Tuesday. Ryley Eldridge pitched a no-hitter as Chimacum’s clinched the title by defeating Klahowya.
Port Angeles, meanwhile, shut down rival Sequim 10-0 in five innings at Dry Creek Elementary.
The undefeated Riders (10-0, 15-0) now have a three-game lead in Olympic League 2A over second-place Sequim (8-3, 12-5) and Olympic (8-3, 13-4) with only two games left in the regular season.
Port Angeles shared the league championship with Sequim in 2014. This year, the Riders claimed it outright with a run-rule win over the Wolves.
Port Angeles ace Nizhoni Wheeler allowed two hits in the first inning but kept the Wolves off the bases for the remainder of the game.
The sophomore struck out 11 and didn’t walk a batter, and the Riders backed her up with error-free defense.
“Nizhoni gave up two hits in the first inning and then got stronger as the game progressed,” Port Angeles coach Randy Steinman said.
“Eleven of the 15 outs recorded were strikeouts. She had command of all her pitches and it was her best game of the year.”
On offense, Port Angeles had 11 hits by eight different players.
Alicia Howell, Dawn Oliver and Natalie Steinman each had two hits. Howell also drove in three runs and scored once, Steinman scored twice and drove in one run and Oliver scored once and brought in one run.
The Roughriders face Bremerton today in a game that was moved from Bremerton to Dry Creek Elementary.
Sequim closes out the regular season at home against Kingston today.
The Riders and Wolves begin the District 2/3 tournament Friday, May 22, at Sprinker Fields in Tacoma.
Port Angeles 10, Sequim 0, 5 innings
Sequim 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 2 1
Port Angeles 2 3 0 5 x — 10 11 0
WP- Wheeler; LP- Bentz
Pitching Statistics
Sequim: M. Bentz 3 2/3 IP, 11 H, 4 BB; Kirsch 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H.
Port Angeles: Wheeler 5 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 11 K, 0 BB.
Hitting Statistics
Sequim: Clift 1-2; Gumm 1-2.
Port Angeles: Howell 2-3, R, 3 RBI; Oliver 2-2, R, RBI; Steiman 2-2, BB, 2 R, RBI; Gouge 1-3, BB, 2 R; Larson 1-2, RBI; Clark 1-3, R, RBI; Lunt 1-2, BB, 2 R; Robinson 1-2, BB, RBI.
Chimacum 10, Klahowya 0
CHIMACUM — A year after not even fielding a softball team, the Cowboys are Olympic League 1A champions.
Ryley Eldridge was at her sharpest for Chimacum, tossing a no-hitter and offering up only three walks while striking out 11 in Tuesday’s six-inning game.
Eldridge also swung a big bat, going 3 for 4 with a double, a run and an RBI.
Mechelle Nisbet doubled and drove in three runs, and Shanya Nisbet drove in two runs and scored two.
Kiersten Snyder, the Cowboys’ only senior, scored three runs and had a hit in her final home game.
Chimacum (7-2, 10-7) will open the Class 1A West Central District tournament Saturday, May 23, at 11 a.m. at Sprinker Fields in Tacoma.
Chimacum 10, Klahowya 0, 6 innings
WP- Eldridge
Pitching Statistics
Chimacum: Eldridge 6 IP, 0 H, 3 BB, 11 K.
Hitting Statistics
Chimacum: Eldridge 3-4, 2B, R, RBI; M. Nisbet 1-3, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI; Mongomery 1-2, R, 2 RBI; Snyder 1-4, 3 R, RBI; Nelson 1-4, R; S. Nisbet 1-2, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI; McKinlay 1-3; Settje 1-3; Carthum 0-2, RBI.
