SPANAWAY — A hungry Port Angeles softball team feasted in a nine-run first inning, eventually obliterating Orting 16-0 in five innings Saturday to reach the Class 2A West Central District Championship game.
The Roughriders (19-1) faced White River (17-4) late Saturday for the tournament title. The Riders won that game 13-2 to win the West Central 2A championship.
Check Peninsuladailynews.com for an update from that contest.
On Saturday against the Cardinals, Port Angeles showed its small-ball ability and penchant for power.
Just as they had in Friday’s district opener, a 10-0 no-hit win over Steilacoom in five innings.
“We didn’t play perfectly. We made some mistakes in the field,” coach Randy Steinman said.
“But overall it was almost exactly like yesterday’s game. We were in command from start to finish.”
The Riders’ first five batters notched hits to open Saturday’s game.
Sierra Robinson sped to first to beat out a bunt, Lauren Lunt blooped a double that was misplayed in the sun and Natalie Steinman made Orting pay with a three-run homer to right field. It was Steinman’s second homer in as many days and 10th on the season.
Later in the inning, Taylar Clark added an RBI single, Robinson slapped a shot to short with the bases loaded to drive in another run and Lauren Lunt smashed a grand-slam home run to right-center to effectively bury the Cardinals.
Lunt went 4 for 4 on the day with two doubles, the grand slam, a single and five RBIs. Three of those hits came while she was forced to deal with a scratched contact lens.
The catcher said she got some diamond grit in her eye in the first inning and the contact kept getting worse as the game progressed.
Nizhoni Wheeler had another stellar outing on the mound, allowing just one hit — an infield single, while striking out eight in four innings.
Callie Hall closed out the contest, allowing one hit in one inning of work.
“Our hitting and pitching really meshed well,” coach Steinman said.
“We played with so much confidence. We are in a good spot right now [mentally and physically].”
Ashley Howell notched an RBI double, Hope O’Conner came off the bench to slash a two-run single to the gap in right-center field and a Kylee Reid single drove in one run, with two more coming in on Orting’s two-base throwing error.
In short, it was utter dominance from Port Angeles, which will make its fifth consecutive state tournament trip next weekend.
Port Angeles 10, Steilacoom 0
Power pitching and ferocious hitting in its Class 2A West Central District pushed Port Angeles to a 10-0 win over Steilacoom in five innings and the program’s fifth consecutive trip to the state softball tournament.
The Roughriders allowed two baserunners all game long, one on a walk by Nizhoni Wheeler and the other an error by Hope O’Conner in relief, but were otherwise perfect in smashing past the Sentinels.
“You expect some nerves in the first game at districts, but we really came to play,” coach Randy Steinman said.
“Nizhoni was great. I don’t think they got a hit off her, and we were able to rest her for an inning.”
Wheeler fanned seven in her four innings of work, allowing no hits and just the one walk.
Hope O’Conner closed out the game, picking up a strikeout and some district tournament experience.
Port Angeles took care of business early, plating six runs in the bottom of the first.
“We were aggressive at the plate and we did a good job, all through the lineup of putting the bat on the ball,” Steinman said.
Natalie Steinman opened the big inning by crushing a two-run home run deep down the left-field line for her ninth homer of the season. She finished 3 for 3 with three RBIs for the game, missing out on a second homer to deep center by inches in the bottom of the third but driving in the team’s 10th run to set up the early ending.
Brennan Gray poked an RBI single just over shortstop to make it 3-0. Gray moved to sec ond on a well-hit single to right center by Ashley Howell. Howell stole second and a Taylar Clark walk loaded the bases with two outs.
Howell finished 2 for 3.
Nikaila Price popped up a full-count pitch to second base but Steilacoom failed to field the ball and three runners scored to make it 6-0.
Nizhoni Wheeler’s sacrifice fly drove in pinch runner and younger sister Cheyenne Wheeler, who was pinch running after Lauren Lunt singled in the second inning.
Price added an RBI single in the third, Sierra Robinson drove in a run with another single and Steinman’s double closed out the Riders’ scoring.
Chimacum wins district title
SPANAWAY —The Cowboys held off Bellevue Christian 10-7 to win the Class 1A West Central District championship and seal a third straight trip to the state tournament next weekend in the Tri-Cities.
“We played our best softball of the season this weekend,” Chimacum coach Jim Eldridge said.
“It’s been kind of a tough year with all the ups-and-downs, all the rainouts. We only got to play 14 [regular-season] games, so this is pretty sweet.”
Eldridge said his team came through with clutch hits all game long in taking down the Vikings.
He said Grace Yaley blooped a changeup, a pitch she says she has trouble hitting, over first base for a big RBI.
Pitcher Holly Snider had two key hits and kept the ball moving to keep Bellevue Christian off balance in the batters box.
“Our defense stays on its toes when Holly’s pitching,” Eldridge said. “Sometimes with a pitcher who really burns it in there, you can relax. We made some mistakes, had some errors, but we made big plays on defense.
Chimacum (12-4) advanced to the district championship by edging Seattle Christian 9-8 in eight innings Friday evening.
Grace Yaley’s RBI single with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning capped the Cowboys’ third comeback of the contest.
Chimacum went up 4-1 after four innings on a solo home run by Mechelle Nisbet and RBI singles by Holly Snider, Kelle Settje and Taylor Carthum.
But Seattle Christian took the lead when Snider walked the first two batters in the fifth and got a little wild with her deliveries to the plate.
Shaniya Nisbet tied the game at 5-all when she came home on a Snider sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.
The Warriors went up 7-5, but Chimacum sent the game to extra innings when Bradyn Nelson and Mechelle Nisbet, who reached base on a double and a walk, respectively, scored on a two-out single by Shaniya Nisbet.
Seattle Christian again took the lead, putting the Cowboys backs to the wall again.
But Carthum singled to open the eighth, Nelson drove her in to tie it at 8 and Yaley came through in the clutch for the walkoff win.
Sequim to state
SPANAWAY — The Wolves sealed their seventh consecutive trip to the Class 2A state tournament by battling back through the consolation bracket with a pair of loser-out victories, 8-0 vs. River Ridge on Friday night and 9-1 in the rubber match with Olympic League foe Olympic on Saturday.
Sequim coach Tim Lusk was happy to keep Sequim’s state tradition going in his first season in charge, particularly for seniors Adrienne Haggerty, Jordan Bentz and Chloie Sparks.
“It means a lot to keep things moving forward,” he said. “It’s really satisfying to see the team play so well and make it back.”
Adrienne Haggerty blasted a solo home run in the win over the Trojans and Bobbi Sparks had a big two-run double.
Sequim faced Fife, which the Wolves beat 2-1 to open district play Friday, for seeding late Saturday.
Shelby Jones came through in a big way in the pitchers circle, according to coach Tim Lusk.
Jones allowed one run to Fife in the opening contest, shut down River Ridge and held down the Trojans.
“She really had a great tournament, pitching and hitting, ” Lusk said. “Raelyn Opdyke also caught some good games behind the plate for us.”
The Wolves tallied five doubles in the victory over River Ridge.
Jones also went the distance as Sequim won its district playoff opener 2-1 over Fife.
That loss sent the Wolves into the consolation bracket with a 9-1 loss to Eatonville Friday afternoon. Isabelle Dennis homered for Sequim in the loss.
Sequim 2, Fife 1
Shelby Jones scattered five hits and one walk while striking out six as Sequim opened the Class 2A West Central District Softball Tournament with a 2-1 win over Fife.
Sequim (11-9) advanced to face Eatonville later Friday afternoon. The winner of that contest earns a state tournament berth.
“She had a real good game against Archbishop Murphy earlier this season,” Wolves coach Tim Lusk said.
“Shelby said this week that she thought she could feel an Archbishop Murphy-type game coming on.”
Jones helped herself with three putouts defensively and was aided by the error-free defense of her teammates, particularly some nifty nabs on hard-hit balls to infielders Jordan Bentz, Chloie Sparks and Bobbie Sparks.
“When we play error-free ball defensively and put the barrel on the ball offensively we are pretty tough,” Lusk said.
Left fielder Maddison Nute also made a good catch on a pop fly early in the conteest. Nute was celebrating her birthday Friday.
The Wolves struck first in the top of the opening innning, when both Sparks singled and Bentz lined an RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.
Sequim stranded base runners at second and third with one out in the top of the fourth. Latisha Robideau struck out and Adrienne Haggerrty missed out on a two-run single by inches when she lined out to second base.
The Wolves manufactured an insurance run in the top of the sixth when Jones singled to right, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by RaeLynn Opdyke and scored on a roped singled to right-center field.
Fife answered back in the bottom of the sixth when Nicole Burns singled to right field, advanced to third on two wild pitches and scored when Sequim threw to first base on a dropped third strike.
Jones got out of the inning and set the Trojans down in order in their final at-bat.
Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles’ Cheyenne Wheeler slides safely into second base against Steilacoom in the Roughriders’ 10-0 win Friday at the West Central District 3 softball tournament in Spanaway.
Lonnie Archibald/Peninsula Daily News Chimacum’s Shaniya Nisbet tags out Seattle Christian’s s #21 tags Seattle Christian’s Kelli Ronish during an attempted steal in the Cowboys’ 9-8 win Friday.
Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News Sequim’s Maddison Nute dives back to third base to beat a throw to River Ridge third baseman Ahtumn Tomkins during Sequim’s 7-0 win Friday. Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News Sequim’s Adrienne Haggerty is called out on a slide at third base against Olympic Saturday. The Wolves won the game 9-1 to qualify for the State 2A softball tournament. Haggerty hit a solo home run in the win.
