PORT ANGELES — Wilder Baseball split two one-run games with Aberdeen/Hoquiam on Saturday but blasted the same team 13-2 Sunday to capture two of the three games last weekend.
Wilder, a Senior Babe Ruth team from the North Washington League, improved to 12-5 on the season by winning the series from the Senior Babe Ruth South Washington League team.
The two elite squads played to a standstill Saturday with Wilder winning the first game 4-3 in extra innings and Aberdeen/Hoquaim taking the second 5-4.
Winning hit
Chimacum High School player Austin McConnell ripped a bases-loaded single to score Easton Napiontek with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning in the first game.
Wilder Baseball tied it up 1-1 in the bottom of the second and went ahead 2-1 in the fourth before Aberdeen scored two in the fifth for a 3-2 lead.
Wilder tied it again in the sixth before the fateful eighth inning.
Napiontek opened the eighth with a single and Spencer Middleton followed with his own single.
Brandon Bancroft walked to load the bases and McConnell followed with his winning hit.
Middleton started on the mound, giving up just one run on six hits in four innings.
He struck out five while walking one.
A.J. Konopaski (4-1) picked up the win by throwing the final four innings. He fanned eight while walking none, allowing just two runs on two hits.
Middleton also carried the big bat, going 2-for-3 with a double, scoring two runs, while McConnell batted 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.
Sequim’s Ryan Hueter had a double and RBI.
Aberdeen paid back the favor in the second game, winning 5-4 by scoring a run in the top of the seventh inning.
Wilder scored two in the bottom of the sixth to tie it 4-4 but couldn’t come up with an equalizing run in the bottom of the seventh.
A three-run homer in the first inning set the plate for Aberdeen.
Brian Senf pitched the first two innings, giving up the three runs on one hit while striking out one and walking three.
McConnell threw the next three innings, allowing only one run on two hits as he fanned two and walked one.
Hayden McCartney (0-2) pitched the next 1 1/3 innings, giving up a run while walking two and striking out one.
“Hayden has had a couple of hard-luck losses,” Wilder coach Rob Merritt said.
Cody Sullivan finish it up, striking out two and walking two in 2/3 of an inning.
Cole Uvila went 2-for-2, scoring two runs and hitting a baserunner in while Ryan Aumock went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Napiontek rapped out a double and scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Wilder didn’t mess around in Sunday’s game, exploding for 10 runs in the fourth inning to win 13-2 in five innings.
The North Olympic Peninsula team had only five hits but earned eight walks and had two hit batters.
Bancroft (2-1) started the game, allowing just two earned runs on four hits while fanning three batters and walking three.
Napiontek threw the final inning, striking out two and allowing a single hit.
Leadoff batter Isaac Yamamoto of Sequim got on base all three times with a single and two walks.
Konopaski scored two runs and he went 1-for-3.
Napiontek, meanwhile, went to town at bat. He had a two-run double in the first and a three-run homer in the fourth, going 2-for-2 with five RBIs and two runs scored.
McCartney pinch hit to go 1-for-1 with an RBI.
Wilder now will participate in the four-day Salem, Ore., tournament starting Thursday.
Wilder opens against Ryder Showtime of Vancouver, Wash., at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Saturday, Game 1
Wilder 4, Aberdeen/Hoquiam 3, 8 innings
Aberdeen 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 – 3 8 0
Wilder 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 — 4 7 2
WP- Konopaski (4-1)
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Middleton 4 IP (6H, 1R, 5K, 1BB); Konopaski 4 IP (2R, 2H, 8K, 0BB).
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Middleton 2-3 (2B, 2R); McConnell 2-4 (3B, 2RBIs).
Saturday, Game 2
Aberdeen/Hoquiam 5, Wilder 4
Aberdeen 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 – 5 4 2
Wilder 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 — 4 7 2
LP- McCartney (0-2)
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Senf 2 IP (1H, 3R, 1K, 3BB); McConnell 3 IP (1R, 2H, 2K, 1BB); McCartney 1 1/3 IP (1R, 1K, 2 BB); Sullivan 2/3 IP (2K, 2BB).
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Uvila 2-2 (2R, RBI); Napiontek 1-3 (2B, 1R).
Sunday
Wilder 13, Aberdeen/Hoquiam 2
Aberdeen 0 0 1 1 0 – 2 5 0
Wilder 3 0 0 (10) x — 13 5 1
WP- Bancroft (2-1)
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Bancroft 4 IP (4H, 2ER, 3K, 3BB); Napiontek 1 IP (1H, 2K).
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Napiontek 2-2 (2R, 5RBIs, HR, 2B); Konopaski 1-3 (2R).
