EDMONTON, Alberta — The Lefties had a nightmarish 560-mile trip Saturday from Victoria to Edmonton and perhaps it affected their bats as Port Angeles managed just three hits in a 7-0 shutout loss to the Riverhawks.
The Lefties did better in a game Sunday against Edmonton, but the Riverhawks rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win 3-2.
The Lefties got great pitching from Joshua Verkuilen (Chaffey College), who went six innings and allowed no runs. He allowed four hits, one walk and struck out six.
Brock Mayer (Point Loma Nazarene) pitched a solid seventh and eighth, but with two outs in the ninth and a runner on base and the Lefties clinging to a 2-1 lead, the Riverhawks’ Michael Soper (Westmont College) hit a triple to tie the game at 2-2. William Vasseur (Memphis) then hit a game-winning single to bring home Soper.
After Sunday’s game, Verkuilen’s ERA dropped to 1.80, good for eighth in the West Coast League.
The Lefties got their runs on a two-run double by Jason Leon (Cal State, Bakersfield) in the third inning. Travis Helm (Central Washington) had got on base with a single and Ethan Kodama (California, Berkeley) walked, coming in to score on Leon’s big knock.
Saturday’s game
“The Lefties day started off early Saturday morning with a 6 a.m. trip to the airport in Vancouver,” reported Lefties pitcher Ryan Wike. “Much to the team’s dismay, the first flight was canceled. The team’s coaches then had to [send] groups of guys on different flights with different destinations and layovers, all in hopes of making the series opener in Edmonton [at 7 p.m.]. After many bumps in the road, the last of the team got on the ground about an hour before game time.”
Despite the travel hassles, Lefties pitchers did well, allowing just seven hits and four earned runs. In fact, Edmonton had just one extra-base hit.
On the mound, John Vaara (Port Angeles High School, Edmonds Community College) started, going five innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out two. Four relief pitchers allowed just three hits in four innings, but did walk six batters and throw three wild pitches as Edmonton opened the game up with four runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Vaara continues to have a solid ERA at 2.84 for the season.
Spencer Dickinson (Oklahoma Baptist) hit a double, while Kodama, Kosei Suzuki (Frank Phillips College) had singles.
The Lefties (5-18) usually have Mondays off, but this week, they play a special Canada Day holiday game today against the Riverhawks (17-9) at 6 p.m.
Friday’s game
VICTORIA, B.C. — The Port Angeles Lefties salvaged their final game in Victoria, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to hold on for a 5-3 win Friday over the HarbourCats.
The Lefties got great pitching from starter Jake Cumming (Nevada), who went five innings and allowed six hits and one earned run. He walked two and struck out two.
Roberto Garza-Nunez (Embry-Riddle) had a huge game, going 3-for-5 with an RBI double and two runs scored. He finished with two RBIs. Ethan Kodama (California, Berkeley) went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored and Jason Leon (Cal State, Bakersfield) was 2-for-4.
The Lefties went into the ninth inning up 5-2, but the HarbourCats made them nervous in the bottom of the inning. Francisco Lopez (Yakima Valley College) came in to the ninth and the bases got loaded on an error and two hit batsmen. Lopez allowed a single to score one run, but with the bases still loaded and the winning run on base, Lopez ended the contest with a fielder’s choice groundout to earn a save.
Lefties pitcher Ryan Wike contributed to this article.
Edmonton 3, Port Angeles 2
PA 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 2 5 2
Edm. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 — 3 10 1
WP: Morrison. LP: Mayer.
Pitching
Port Angeles — Verkuilen 6 IP, 4 H, BB, 3 K; Mayer 2.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 K.
Edmonton — Knoll 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; Lampe IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K; Wilde IP, K; Morrison IP, BB, K.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Leon 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Kodama 1-3, R, BB; Helm 2-4, R.
Edmonton — Soper 2-4, R, 2 RBI, BB; Vasseur 3-5, RBI; Young 2-4; McGill 2-2, R.
Edmonton 7, Port Angeles 0
PA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 3 2
Edm. 1 2 0 0 0 3 1 0 x — 7 7 0
WP: Dearing. LP: Vaara.
Pitching
Port Angeles — Vaara 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Stuart IP 2 H, ER, 2 BB; Schumann IP, H, ER, 2 BB; Hagopian 2 BB; Wike IP, K.
Edmonton — Dearing 6 IP, 2 H, 6 K; Brunette IP, H, BB, K; Loeppky IP, BB, 2 K; Fyke IP.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Dickinson 1-2, 2B; Suzuki 1-3, Kodama 1-4.
Edmonton — Lenihan 2-2, 3B, 3 R, BB, SB; Watson 1-4, R, RBI.
Port Angeles 5, Victoria 3
PA 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 — 5 9 3
Vic. 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 — 3 7 3
WP: Cumming. LP: Palmer. SV: Lopez.
Pitching
Port Angeles — Cumming 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K; Ricken 1.1 IP, 3 BB; Hernandez 1.2 IP, BB, K; Lopez IP, H.
Victoria — Palmer 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 K; Bertsch 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB; Douglas 2 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K; Thompson IP, H.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Nunez 3-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI; Kodama 2-5, 2 R, SB; Leon 2-4.
Victoria — Shimao 2-4, 2B
