SELAH — Port Angeles started the Class 2A state softball tournament strongly with an 11-8 win over Lynden, but errors and walks ended their season.
The Roughriders (23-2) fell 5-2 to Othello in a state quarterfinal Friday afternoon, and were eliminated in a 5-3 loss to Tumwater later in the evening.
“We just didn’t play our best softball,” coach Randy Steinman said.
“We picked a bad time to start making mistakes.
“We made a bunch of errors, had a bunch of walks, and it was just not how we played all year.”
Starting pitcher Nizhoni Wheeler allowed 12 walks and six hits in the state quarterfinal loss to Othello.
“We walked too many girls,” Steinman said.
“We were lucky to get away with allowing only five runs.”
The Huskies scored first in the bottom of the first inning when leadoff hitter Kirsten Quigley walked and was brought home on Lidi DeLeon’s RBI triple.
Audisey Sauceda added an RBI single for a 2-0 Othello lead.
The Huskies made it 4-0 in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by Madison Martinez.
Port Angeles plated two runs in the top of the fifth when Brennan Gray singled and later scored on an RBI single by Natalie Steinman.
Steinman was brought home on a fielder’s choice by Lauren Lunt.
But the Riders couldn’t muster a rally in the late innings and Othello moved forward.
The Huskies wound up winning the state title game 3-1 against Fife.
The loss to Othello marked the third straight season Port Angeles has lost at state to the eventual state champion.
“We do seem to get tough draws, but once you get to state you have to beat the teams you face if you want to win the whole thing,” Randy Steinman said.
“I just wish we would have been able to play out the rest of the district tournament and get some more experience against tough teams.”
The district semifinals and final were canceled due to heavy rain.
Rough third inning
A four-run third inning erased the Riders’ 2-0 lead, and proved the difference in the loss to the Tumwater Thunderbirds.
“We made two errors and gave up three hits and they scored four runs,” Steinman said.
“Those errors were huge. We got the first out, then a a girl hits a double, and the the next batter we get a grounder and pull the first baseman off the bag with the throw.
“So, instead of two outs, runner on third, we have one out, runners on the corners. And then they strung three hits together on us.”
Port Angeles fell behind 5-2 after four innings, but cut the T-Birds’ lead to one when Natalie Steinman singled, advanced on a Sierra Robinson single and scored on a base hit by Lunt.
Robinson and Lunt moved to second and third on a ground out, but a strikeout and flyout ended the inning.
Randy Steinman said Tumwater pitcher Jocelyn Glasgo kept the Riders guessing.
“She had a nice dropping fastball, a good changeup and mixed her pitches up well to keep us off-balance,” he said.
“She had nine strikeouts, and honestly, she was tougher to hit than the Othello pitcher.”
Port Angeles loses three seniors to graduation, starting shortstop Jaidyn Larson and pitchers Hope Wegener and Hunter Anne Coburn.
“It was a great season, the girls, I’m proud as heck of them,” Randy Steinman said.
“The seniors are the ones who you feel for.”
“But only two teams walk off the field at state as winners, the champions and the third-place team.”
The Riders’ core should remain intact for another run at a state trophy next year.
“It’s been a few years since we’ve had a senior-led team,” Randy Steinman said.
“The girls will be ready and motivated for next season.”
Steinman homers twice
In the state opener Natalie Steinman hit two home runs to power the Riders past the Lions.
Steinman finished 3 of 4 four with five RBIs.
“She crushed it,” her father and coach Randy Steinman said.
“One of the homers was way over the fence.”
Wheeler allowed a three-run home run to Lynden’s Olivia Wittenburg, and the Riders trailed 4-1 midway through the third inning.
“They jumped on us early off that three-run home run,” Randy Steinman said.
“But once we got a look at their pitcher, and got some of the nerves and butterflies of the first state game out of the way, we were fine.
“We ended up with 15 hits or something like that.”
Port Angeles, sparked by an RBI double by Lunt, rallied in the bottom of the third to take a 5-4 lead.
Steinman’s home runs, a two-run shot in the fourth and a three-run blast in the fifth, put the Riders up for good, 11-5.
Wheeler allowed a second three-run homer to Alexis Fredin with two outs in the top of the sixth.
But Wheeler settled down and struck out the next batter to end the inning, and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to close out the game.
Wheeler finished with 11 strikeouts.
Port Angeles 11, Lynden 8
Lynden 0 3 1 0 1 3 0 — 8 4 0
Port Angeles 1 0 4 3 3 0 x — 11 15 1
WP- Wheeler; LP- Swendt
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Wheeler 7 IP, 8 R, 4 H, 6 BB, 11 K.
Hitting Statistics
Lynden: Fredin HR, 3 RBI; Witenberg HR, 3 RBI.
Port Angeles: Steinman 3-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI; Robinson 4-4, 3 R, 2 SB; Howell 1-2, 2B, R; Lunt 2-4, 2B, RBI.
Othello 5, Port Angeles 2
Port Angeles 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 — 2 5 0
Othello 2 2 0 0 0 1 x— 5 6 0
WP- Franco; LP- Wheeler
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Wheeler 7 IP, 5 R, 6 H, 12 BB, 4k.
Hitting Statistics
Port Angeles: Steinman 3-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI; Robinson 4-4, 3 R, 2 SB; Howell 1-2, 2B, R; Lunt 2-4, 2B, RBI.
Tumwater 5, Port Angeles 3
Port Angeles 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 — 3 9 2
Tumwater 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 — 5 9 1
WP- Glasgo; LP- Wheeler
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Wheeler 2 1/3 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 2K; Wegener 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, R, 2 K.
Hitting Statistics
Port Angeles: Lunt 3-4, 2B, RBI, R; Steinman 3-4, 2 R.
