PORT ANGELES — Wilder Baseball had a tough weekend opening for the 2011 season.
The elite Senior Babe Ruth program for high school age and older players of the North Olympic Peninsula is 0-3 after two close losses Saturday and a blowout loss Sunday.
All games were at Civic Field in Port Angeles.
The Hoquiam Hawks nudged Wilder 9-8 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, and then Longview Legion shaded Wilder 5-4 in nine innings in the nightcap.
In a lone game Sunday, Longview blasted Wilder 9-1.
Hawks 9, Wilder 8
The Hawks had a 6-0 lead in the third inning before Wilder even got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the third.
“We just didn’t play well all weekend,” Wilder coach Rob Merritt said.
“Our runs in the first game came too late.”
A five-run third inning broke the game open for Hoquiam.
Brian Senf started the game for Wilder and went two innings while Chimacum’s Austin McConnell (0-1) threw the next two and took the loss.
McConnell, a junior, pitched for the Class 1A state championship Cowboys in the just-completed high school season.
Michael Konopaski threw one inning for Wilder while Derek Crain pitched the final two innings.
Even though Wilder had no errors in the game, the pitchers collectively were wild.
“We walked and hit guys the whole game,” Merritt said.
Wilder gave up nine walks and hit three batters for a total of 12 free passes to first base.
On the offensive side, McConnell came up big by going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI.
Crain of Port Angeles went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
Longview 5,
Wilder 4, 9 innings
It took Longview an extra two innings to nip Wilder by a run in the nightcap.
The Legion led 1-0 after three but Wilder tied it in the fourth. Longview went ahead 4-1 in the fifth but Wilder struck back with three in the fifth to tie it again.
But a run in the ninth sealed the victory for Legion.
It was all-Port Angeles pitching as Cody Sullivan started the game and went 4 1/3 innings while Crain threw for one and Easton Napiontek (0-1) pitched the last 3 2/3 innings.
Even though Napiontek gave up the winning run, Merritt liked the way he pitched.
“He did a good job,” Merritt said. “He struck out four.”
Sullivan led at the plate by going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
Longview 9,
Wilder 1
It was all Longview in Sunday’s game.
The Legion led 5-0 through the first three innings and 6-1 through five innings.
Longview scored another three in the top of the seventh to dominate the game.
A.J. Konopaski (0-1) of Port Angeles threw the first three innings while Cole Uvila of Port Angeles pitched two innings and Port Townsend’s Ryan Aumock threw the final two.
Wilder managed just four singles in the game.
The North Olympic Peninsula team is lacking experience as a few players from last year’s team are not coming back.
Wilder next has a doubleheader at Civic Field on Saturday against Blaze Baseball of Poulsbo starting at 1 p.m.
Saturday Game 1
Hoquiam 9, Wilder 8
Hoquiam 1 1 5 2 0 0 0 — 9 7 2
Wilder 0 0 1 3 0 2 2 — 8 10 0
LP- McConnell (0-1)
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Senf 1IP; McConnell 2IP; M. Konopaski 1IP; Crain 2IP.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: McConnell 3-3, 3R, RBI; Crain 2-3, 2R, RBI.
Saturday Game 2
Longview 5, Wilder 4, 9 innings
Longview 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 1— 5 15 1
Wilder 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0— 4 6 2
LP- Napiontek (0-1)
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Sullivan 4 1/3IP; Crain 1IP; Napiontek 3 2/3IP, 4K.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Sullivan 2-4, 2R, RBI.
Sunday
Longview 9, Wilder 1
Longview 1 3 1 0 1 0 3 — 9 14 1
Wilder 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 4 1
LP- A.J. Konopaski (0-1)
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: A.J. Konopaski 3IP, 5R, 6H, 2K, BB; Uvila 2IP, R, 3H; Aumock 2IP.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Only four singles by Wilder hitters.
