KENT — The 18U Senior Babe Ruth regional championships did not start out well for Wilder Baseball despite two pitchers throwing a no-hitter.
The elite team that has players based from all over the North Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas and based in Port Angeles opened regionals by losing a 2-1 heartbreaker to Siskiyou Jaxx of Yreka, Calif., in the first round Thursday.
Wilder can’t afford any more losses, and had a late-night Thursday game against the Vancouver, Wash., Jayhawks scheduled.
Results of that game weren’t available by press time.
Win or lose, Wilder continues pool play today against Wyoming at 2:30 p.m. at Kent Memorial Stadium, and then has a bye Saturday before taking on Washington state winner Moses Lake River Dogs at 9 a.m. Sunday.
The top two teams in pool play advance to championship action Monday.
Thursday’s loss to Siskiyou Jaxx was discouraging for Wilder Baseball because two pitchers combined for a no-hitter.
Cole Uvila (1-3) of Port Angeles started on the mound and pitched a perfect first inning.
He gave up four straight walks, though, in the second, walking in one run.
Uvila was taken out of the game with no outs. Michael Dean of Forks came in to pitch the rest of the way.
Dean got out of the second but not before a sacrifice fly scored the second run, and that would be all that the Jaxx would need.
“Michael Dean pitched well for us the rest of the way,” Wilder manager Rob Merritt said.
Dean gave up no runs and no hits while striking out three and walking just one in five innings.
Wilder went ahead 1-0 in the first inning.
Easton Napiontek of Port Angeles got things going with a single and moved to second with a walk to George Marinan of Kingston.
Port Townsend’s Kyle Kelly then walked to load the bases.
Clark Rose punched through a hit to score Napiontek but then Wilder left three on base when the rally fizzled out.
Wilder managed only three hits in the game but Rose earned two of them.
Siskiyou Jaxx 2, Wilder Baseball 1
Wilder 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 3 0
Jaxx 0 2 0 0 0 0 x — 2 0 1
LP- Uvila (1-3)
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Uvila 1 IP (pitched to four batters in the second), 2 ER, 0 H, 4 BB; Dean 5 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 K, 1 BB.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Rose 2-3, RBI.
