PORT ANGELES — When it comes to its own Dick Brown Memorial Firecracker Tournament, the Wilder Baseball Club just can’t be beat.
For the 10th time in its 11 years of the tourney, Wilder won the championship.
The Port Angeles-based select team shaded the tough Seattle Braves 6-5 to go 5-0 in the 11th annual Firecracker on Sunday at Civic Field.
“We really pitched well, and we played pretty good defense for the whole weekend,” Wilder coach Rob Merritt said.
It was Wilder’s best performance of the summer season, improving to 17-9 on the year.
The pitching was stellar as the North Olympic Peninsula team gave up just 10 runs for the five games, an average of only two runs per game.
The Seattle Braves, clearly the second-best team of the tourney with a 4-0 record going into Sunday’s championship game, scored as many runs against Wilder as the four previous teams scored against the host team: five.
Wilder, meanwhile, scored 38 runs in the five games for 7.6 runs per game.
In pool competition, Wilder opened play by pounding the Victoria Mariners 10-1 on Thursday.
Then Wilder ripped North Kitsap Juniors 12-1 on Friday, shut out Marysville Outlaws 6-0 and shaded Narrows Baseball of Gig Harbor 4-3 on Saturday for the perfect 4-0 pool record.
Title Game Wilder 6, Seattle Braves 5
The Braves were ahead 3-0 in the top of the third but Wilder scored three at the bottom of the inning to tie it up thanks mainly to Cody Sullivan’s two-run homer.
“Cody ignited things for us,” Merritt said.
The Braves took a 4-3 lead in the fourth but Wilder came right back with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 6-4 lead.
Seattle scored one more run in the fifth but that would be all the scoring.
Sullivan, who had a stellar tournament, pitching the first five innings to improve to 2-0 on the year.
A.J. Konopaski earned his second save of the year by throwing the last two innings, allowing just one hit and no runs.
Sullivan also helped his cause at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and the home run.
Alex Gillis went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI in the game.
Pool Play Thursday Wilder 10, Victoria 1
Wilder led 4-1 after three innings and then broke it open with four more runs in the fourth.
Gillis (1-0) gave up just the one run and three hits in 4 1/3 innings while striking out six. Ryan Wilcox threw the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing no hits or runs while fanning two.
Sullivan again had the hot bat, going 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and two runs scored.
Easton Napiontek knocked in three runs while going 2-for-3 and scoring a run.
Friday Wilder 12, N. Kitsap Juniors 1
Chase Moore (5-0) gave up a solo home run in the first inning and then scattered five more hits in five innings, striking out five while walking just one.
After allowing the one run, Wilder scored two in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth and four in the fifth to blow open the game.
Port Angeles scored three more in the sixth for good measure.
Wilcox pitched the sixth and final inning, giving up just one hit.
Sullivan remained scorching hot, going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Kyler Morgan of Port Angeles went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run.
Danny Romero went 3-for-5 at bat with two RBIs and one run while Brien Jaksha of Forks went 2-for-3 with a run and solo home run.
Saturday Wilder 4, Narrows Baseball 3
Wilder led 3-0 after four innings before letting Gig Harbor back into the game with three runs in the fifth.
Port Angeles scored the winning run in the bottom of the fifth.
Gillis started the winning rally with a single as Sullivan walked. Morgan had a sacrifice bunt, moving both runners up.
Kyle Jenkins was hit by the pitcher, loading the bases, and then Romero’s sacrifice fly scored Gillis with the winning run.
Quilcene’s Brandon Bancroft (1-1) pitched the first five innings, scattering three hits while fanning six batters.
Konopaski threw the final two innings, striking out two.
Napiontek went 1-for-2 in the game while Romero, Joey Bradley and Gillis all were 1-for-3. Napiontek, Bradley and Romero all had one RBI each.
Romero, Napiontek and Gillis all scored a run apiece.
Wilder 6, Marysville 0
Wilder scored three runs in the second and that would be all the team would need even though it scored three more, one each in the third, fifth and seventh innings.
Romero (4-2) went the entire seven innings, scattering seven hits while striking out nine and walking only one.
Gillis was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored while Morgan and Konopaski both were 2-for-4 each.
Morgan had two RBIs while Konopaski scored two runs.
Next up for Wilder is a home league game against South Kitsap No. 1 today at 6 p.m. at Civic Field.
