CHIMACUM — Devin Manix refused to be satisfied with another Nisqually League championship.
Manix broke open a pitcher’s duel with two singles and four RBIs, leading the Chimacum baseball team to a 4-0 victory over Cascade Christian on Wednesday that clinched the Class 1A league title.
Still, the junior outfielder was far from content.
Conquering the Nisqually, a feat Chimacum has pulled off four of the last five years, and twice in a row, just might be losing its luster.
“It feels good,” Manix said, “but not as good as a state championship.
“All the way to state, that’s the goal right now.”
Considering the way Cowboys ace Landon Cray pitched Wednesday, striking out 10, walking none and giving up just three hits in a complete game shutout, that might be attainable.
“I just went out there and gave it my all,” Cray said.
“The curve ball was working, so that gives me a lot of confidence for what I can do against these other hitters. I felt good out there today.”
The win, Chimacum’s 10th in a row, also earned the Cowboys a spot in the Nisqually’s sub-district championship game May 7 in Tacoma.
A win there gives the 10th-ranked Cowboys (9-1 in league, 12-2 overall) an automatic berth into the regional state playoffs.
“I told them, ‘Enjoy tonight, but come Friday, we’re planning on winning out,” Chimacum coach Loren Bishop said.
“We’re not taking it easy [in the last two regular season games]. I don’t care who we’re playing, because we’re on a roll and I want to keep that roll going.”
Outside of a throwing error in the first inning, Cray was unflappable Wednesday.
The reigning Nisqually League MVP allowed just one batter to reach second base (after a steal in the second inning) all game and got ahead of Cascade’s hitters throughout.
Only three Cascade hitters ever saw ball three against Cray, who consistently peppered the bottom of the strike zone.
“You’ve got to give Landon a lot of credit,” Bishop said. “He kept us in the game all game.”
Indeed, the Cowboys needed every bit of Cray’s dominance, with Cascade Christian pitcher Stephen Mahnken sharp as well.
“The last time we played them it was a tough game, too,” Cray said. “They are good hitters. I knew it was going to be close.
“Devin Manix came up big for us in the end.”
Manix broke through with the first off his two two-run singles in the third inning, bouncing a ball off third base to score Tyson Eldridge and Lucas Dukek, both of whom drew walks to lead off the inning.
Mahnken’s wildness came back to haunt him again two innings later when Manix struck a sharply hit ground ball between Cascade’s shortstop and third baseman to score Dylan Brown and Dukek (both walked).
“We were able to get people on, move them around and get them in positions [to score],” Manix said.
“I was lucky enough to get those hits right then and do what we needed.”
The Cowboys close out the regular season with a game at Orting on Friday and at Charles Wright on Monday.
They may very well see the same Cascade Christian team, which came into the game second in the Nisqually, in the sub-district championship.
“This is the first thing we shoot for, winning league,” Bishop said.
“We don’t get a lot of league championships at our school. This is something we take pride in.
“Now we’ll reset our goals to the next thing. And we’ll do that until hopefully we get to be state champs.”
Chimacum 4, Cascade Christian 0
Cascade 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 3 0
Chimacum 0 0 2 0 2 0 X — 4 3 1
WP- Cray; LP-Mahnken
Pitching Statistics
Cascade: Mahnken 5IP (3hits, 5BB, 3K, 4ER); Zepernick IP (BB, K).
Chimacum: Cray 7IP (3hits, 0BB, 10K).
Hitting Statistics
Cascade: Zepernick 2-3 (SB).
Team: Manix 2-3 (4RBI); D. Dukek 1-3; L. Dukek 2BB (2R).
Softball Chimacum 19, 12 Cascade Chris. 0, 2
CHIMACUM — The Cowboys (9-0, 11-2) needed just 11 innings to sweep a doubleheader against the Cougars on Wednesday.
Sisters Brittany Nelson and Cydney Nelson each earned victories on the mound, as Chimacum moved within two wins of sweeping its Nisqually League schedule for the second year in a row.
Brittany and Arlie Petrick combined for a perfect game in a five-inning win in game one.
It was the second perfect game Brittany has been a part of this season, having pitched one by herself in a 17-0 mercy-rule win over Vashon Island on April 12.
Brittany struck out six of the nine batters she faced to move to 6-2 on the season, while Petrick had four strikeouts in two innings.
Cydney earned her second win of the season after striking out six in four innings of work.
Tara Peters led the Cowboys’ offensive charge in both wins, combining for five hits all together.
Chimacum heads to Orting on Friday.
Chimacum 19, Cascade Christian 0
Chimacum 5 4 4 5 1 X X – 19 18 0
Cascade 0 0 0 0 0 X X — 0 0 4
WP- B. Nelson (6-2); LP- Long
Pitching Statistics
Chimacum: B. Nelson 3IP (6K, 0BB); Petrick 2IP (4K, 0BB).
Cascade: Long 5IP (K, 8BB).
Hitting Statistics
Chimacum: Peters 4-5 (3B, 2RBI, 4R); Carter 3-5 (2RBI, 2R); B. Nelson 3-4 (2RBI, 2R); Dietz 2-4 (2RBI, 3R).
Chimacum 12, Cascade Christian 2
Cascade 1 1 0 0 0 0 X – 2 3 3
Chimacum 0 0 0 8 3 1 X — 12 4 4
WP- C. Nelson; LP- Reilly
Pitching Statistics
Chimacum: C. Nelson 4IP (6K, hit); Cadero 2IP (K, 3BB, 2hits).
Hitting Statistics
Chimacum: Kiesel 1-1 (RBI, 2R); Petrick 1-3 (RBI, R), Cossell 1-1 (R, 3BB); Peters 1-3 (2R).
Baseball North Kitsap 8, Sequim 4
SEQUIM — The Wolves gave the Olympic League powerhouse Vikings, undefeated on the year, a run for their money Wednesday.
“We played real well,” Sequim coach Dave Ditlefsen said. “I thought we played real hard.”
The Vikings, 16-0 and ranked sixth in the state, led 6-3 after three innings and wouldn’t let the Wolves get any closer.
Sequim (8-5, 9-8) hit North Kitsap ace Alex Smith, an All-Olympic League player, fairly well.
“We hit him better than the first time we faced him,” Ditlefsen said.
Alex Gillis, who struck out five in two innings of relief pitching, also went 3-for-4 at bat and scored three runs.
Matt Rief went 2-for-4 with a triple, double and two RBIs for the Wolves.
Sequim next plays at Olympic on Friday.
North Kitsap 8, Sequim 4
North Kitsap 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 – 8 12 2
Sequim 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 — 4 7 1
WP- Alex Smith; LP- Jeremie Oliver (3-1)
Pitching Statistics
Sequim: Oliver 5IP (5ER, 3K, 1BB), Alex Gillis 2IP (1R, 1H, 5K).
Hitting Statistics
Sequim: Gillis 3-4 (3R); Matt Rief 2-4 (3B, 2B, 2RBIs); Isaac Yamamoto 1-3 (BB).
Track Riders at Bellevue
BELLEVUE — Port Angeles had a strong showing at the prestigious 29-team Bellevue Invitational last Saturday.
The Roughrider boys captured sixth place with 41.5 points while the girls claimed 10th with 24 points.
The Riders had two champions and several multiple placers in the top 10.
Cece Stevenson captured first in the girls high jump with a height of 5 feet, 3 inches while Nathan Hofer claimed first in the boys high jump with a height of 5-10.
Stevenson had the top overall performance at the meet as she also took fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (47.56) and fifth in the 100 hurdles (16.49).
In boys competition, Mehdi Ettehadulhagh was a double placer, taking third in the 100 (11.24) and fifth in the 200 (22.98).
Also finishing in the top three were Troy Martin in discus, who claimed second in discus (145-7), Nick Peterson, who took third in high jump (5-8), and Cameron Braithwaite, who was third in long jump (20-0).
In other boys results, Parley Scott took fifth in the 400 (52.31) and Peterson and Adam Raemer tied for ninth each in pole vault (11-6).
In other girls results, Katelyn Noard captured fourth in javelin (98-5), McKenna Bukovnik took ninth in pole vault (8-0) and Kathryn Moseley was ninth in the 400 (1:01.66).
Boys Golf Port Ludlow Invite
PORT LUDLOW — Sequim won the 2010 Port Ludlow Invitational tournament as two area golfers finished in the top three.
The Wolves scored 103 points to finish seven points ahead of runner-up Steilacoom.
Chimacum’s Eric Nelson won medalist honors with an 18-hole score of 72 for 36 stableford points while Jordan Negus of Port Angeles took runner-up honors with a 77 for 31 points and Olympic standout Mike Noyes claimed third with 79 for 29 points.
Port Ludlow Invitational
High school golf tournament
Hosted by Chimacum H.S.
at Port Ludlow Golf Club
Tuesday
Tournament medalists: Eric Nelson (Chimacum) 72 (36 points); Jordan Negus (Port Angeles) 77 (31); Mike Noyes (Olympic) 79 (29)
Teams: score/points
(1) Sequim 103
Ryan O’Meara 84 (24); Steve Loerline 80 (28); Casey Torres 89 (19); Jake Detuhefsen 94 (14); Mallery Mahonie 90 (18)
(2) Steilacoom 96
Dylan Flynn 83 (25); Brian Dehart 85 (23); Christian Kahannoi 86 (22); Kelekolio Moore 96 (12); Max Schenck 94 (14)
(3) Olympic HS 90
Mike Noyes 79 (29); Dylan Vaughn 83 (25); Christian Thomas 93 (15); John Fry 98 (10); Stefen Huskinson 97 (11)
(4) Chimacum HS 88
Eric Nelson 72 (36)*; Mason Moug 84 (24); Jarrett Hansen 106 (2); Jacob Ruby 91 (17); Kevin Miller 99 (9)
(5) Port Angeles HS 83
Jordan Nogus 77 (31); Garrett Payton 92 (16); Bryan Schlinkmann 98 (10); Ber (sic) 92 (16); Corey Roblor (sic) 98 (10)
(6) Kingston HS 75
Joe Strange 93 (15); Sam Fox 89 (19); Dalton Ekler 88 (20); Connor Wall 94 (14); Jordan Holman 101 (7)
(7) Klahowya HS 62
Sam Usher 103 (5); Garrett Kitchel 86 (22); Ian Fretwell 106 (2); Aaron Kassan 89 (19); Logan Schnuit 94 (14)
(8) North Kitsap HS 59
David Gersienberger 85 (23); Kenny Kimbel 89 (19); Des Marks 99 (9); Forrest Ohnhaus 106 (2); Chance Jenniges 102 (6).
