PORT ANGELES — For the third straight year, the Port Angeles and Sequim high school softball teams will use one of their rivalry games to bring attention to the fight against cancer.
Today’s games at Dry Creek Elementary School, located at 25 Rife Road, will double as the annual Pink It Up fundraiser.
The schools’ varsity and JV teams will wear pink uniform tops for the games, which begin at 4:15 p.m.
At 4 p.m., there will be a ceremony that begins with the Port Angeles High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps color guard presenting the colors.
Then, Claire Steinman, a cancer survivor, will throw out the first pitch of the game. Steinman, the mother of Port Angeles coach Randy Steinman and grandmother of second baseman Natalie Steinman, resides at St. Andrews Assisted Living, and fellow residents will join her at the game.
Catching the first pitch will be 12-year-old cancer survivor Anne Edwards, a student at Dry Creek Elementary who is Port Angeles assistant coach Rob Edwards’ daughter and the sister of Port Angeles player Erin Edwards.
This year’s Pink It Up fundraising efforts will go to support Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County. Donations can be made at the game.
Fans and members of the community are invited to attend the game and join the players in wearing pink.
Important on the field, too
The game also will impact the Olympic League 2A Division standings.
Port Angeles (10-0, 18-0) can clinch its third consecutive league title by defeating the Wolves.
Sequim (7-2, 14-3) can not only become the first team to beat the Roughriders this season, but also will keep its title hopes alive and gain the inside track to a second-place finish in the league. The Wolves are currently one game ahead of third-place Olympic (6-3, 10-5).
Port Angeles defeated Sequim 6-0 on April 27 in their first meeting of the season.
Postseason action
Many other area athletes and teams have important postseason contests today:
■ Boys and girls golfers from Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Chimacum will play for state and district berths at the Olympic League Championships at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course at 11:30 a.m.
The boys will tee off on the first hole, will the girls will start at No. 10.
The top eight boys 2A finishers will earn automatic state berths. Those who finish 9-19 will advance to next week’s district championships.
The top seven 2A girls will claim state berths. The eighth through 16th finishers will play at districts.
In Class 1A, the top 12 placers will move on to next week’s district championships.
■ Quilcene will host Crosspoint in the opening round of the Class 1B District 2/4 baseball tournament.
The Rangers (8-2, 12-4) won the SeaTac League title, while the Warriors (4-6, 4-9) tied for fourth. Quilcene swept the two meetings between the teams this season.
Today’s game will be played at Bob Bates Little League Fields in Port Hadlock. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
The winner clinches a regional berth and advances to Thursday’s semifinals. The loser of today’s game is eliminated.
■ Port Angeles’ boys soccer team plays a loser-out match against Washington at Silverdale Stadium at 5 p.m.
The Roughriders (7-5, 9-6-1) placed fourth in Olympic League 2A. The Patriots (6-8, 7-9) finished fifth in the South Puget Sound League.
The winner will face Orting on Thursday at Bonney Lake High School.
■ Sequim and Port Angeles will play the first day of the Olympic League 2A girls tennis championships at North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo at 8 a.m. The tournament continues Wednesday.
Port Townsend and Chimacum, meanwhile, will host the Olympic League 2A championships at Port Townsend High School at noon.
