SEATTLE — The Port Angeles baseball team got yet another career-best performance when it needed it most Friday afternoon.
Cody Sullivan struck out 13 in five innings pitched and scored two runs to lead the Roughriders to a 4-1 victory over Steilacoom in a Class 2A loser-out sub-district playoff at Evergreen High School.
The senior right-hander whiffed eight of the first nine batters he faced on his way to a career-high.
And just like teammate A.J. Konopaski’s 12K performance in a 4-0 season-saving win over Sequim on Tuesday, it came at just the right time for the Riders (10-8 overall).
“It was his best outing of his high school career,” Port Angeles coach Bob Withrow said.
“He was just overpowering. He actually looked like he was throwing harder than I’d ever seen him.”
Port Angeles ended up earning the tenth seed into the 2A Bi-District tournament with the win.
After Saturday’s seeding game with Eatonville was rained out, the West Central District made the decision to seed the two teams out based upon power rankings.
Since Port Angeles had wins over a No. 1 (North Kitsap) and No. 3 seed (Sequim), it was placed ahead of Eatonville in the Bi-District bracket.
“We’re still making some mistakes, mostly offensively on the base paths, but our pitching and our defense we knew was going to be our strength anyway,” Withrow said.
“Our guys are all healthy. Their arms feel good, and the last two guys [Konopaski and Sullivan] have gone out throwing 100-plus pitches and rebounded pretty quickly.”
Port Angeles will face No. 7 seed Sumner in the first round of the double-elimination bracket Tuesday at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds.
Konopaski, the Riders’ unquestioned big-game pitcher, will more than likely take the hill.
“This delay thing actually works in our favor,” said Withrow, whose team avoided having to play a makeup game Monday due to the seeding decision.
“It just makes it easier to have two good guys ready to go Tuesday.”
Sullivan allowed four hits and three walks in his five innings of work Friday.
The Riders were ahead 4-0 before he gave up his lone earned run of the game in the bottom of the fifth.
Reliever Brian Senf then closed out the game with two innings of no-hit ball for his first save of the year.
Senf’s most impressive contribution, however, may have been his solo home run in the fourth inning; a blast that put the Riders ahead 3-0.
“He just nailed it to center field,” Withrow said.
“It was 60 feet over the fence when it crossed. It was one of the hardest balls I’ve seen hit all year.”
Port Angeles 4, Steilacoom 1
Port Angeles 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 — 4 7 1
Steilacoom 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 1 4 3
WP- Sullivan (4-4); LP- Donor; SV- Senf (1)
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Sullivan 5IP, 13K, 3BB, 4H, ER; Senf 2IP, K, BB, 0H.
Steilacoom: Donor 7IP.
Hitting Statistics
Port Angeles: Sullivan 2-4 (2B, 2R, RBI), Senf 1-3 (HR, RBI), Crain 2-3 (BB).
Steilacoom: Guzman 2-3 (2B).
Sequim 7, Lindbergh 2
SILVERDALE — The Wolves earned the sixth seed into the 2A Bi-District tournament after topping the Eagles on Friday in sub-district play, then getting their Saturday showdown with Kingston rained out.
Weston Royall hit a home run and two doubles in Friday’s win, and Tyler Campbell submitted a complete game on the mound to lead the Wolves.
Sequim (15-6 overall) played one inning against Kingston on Saturday night before the game was called.
The two teams were then seeded into Bi-District based on power rankings, with Kingston getting the fifth seed and Sequim the sixth seed.
Sequim will played the No. 11 seed in the first round on Tuesday at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds.
Sequim 7, Lindbergh 2
Sequim 1 0 0 0 3 1 2 — 7 8 0
Lindbergh 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 — 2 6 1
WP- Campbell; LP- Stewart
Pitching Statistics
Sequim: Campbell 7IP, 2ER, 6H, 3BB, 5K.
Lindbergh: Stewart 7IP.
Hitting Statistics
Sequim: Royall 3-4 (HR, 2 2B, 5RBI); Wake 1-3 (2B, RBI); Rickerson 1-2 (2BB, 3R); Forshaw 1-2 (R, 2SB).
Lindbergh: White 2-3 (3B, 2R).