PORT ANGELES — Forks’ Logan Olson pitched a complete-game gem to complete a successful opening weekend for the Wilder Baseball Club senior team.
Wilder won three games out of four Saturday and Sunday at Civic Field to begin AAA Region A American Legion play.
Olson gave up one earned run in a 7-2 win over NW Sting to complete the weekend Sunday night.
Wilder began the weekend losing to Lakeside BR 9-6 in a game they had opportunities to win. Wilder fought back from a 9-2 deficit in that game to make Lakeside nervous, but left six runners on base in the fourth and fifth innings.
“We had chances to do damage, but we weren’t able to get the big hit,” said coach Zac Moore.
Reliever Peyton Cagey pitched well at the end of the game, keeping Lakeside BR scoreless in the sixth and the seventh as Wilder attempted to rally.
“We got in a situation where we weren’t throwing a lot of strikes [early],” Moore said. “[Cagey] found the strike zone and gave us a chance to win the game.”
Wilder responded by beating NW Sting 9-7 on Saturday night, Lakeside BR 9-7 on Sunday morning and NW Sting again 7-2 late Sunday afternoon.
“We never gave up all weekend and kept a positive attitude,” Moore said. “We didn’t play as well as I think we can, but we still won three out of four. We have to correct some of the defensive side.”
The weekend puts Wilder in the top of the Region A standings. Lakeside BR is 4-1 and Lakeside Recovery is 2-0.
Moore thought catcher Hunter Robinson stood out all weekend.
“He caught all four games and had three doubles,” Moore said.
Olson, the Pacific 2B League baseball MVP, played his first game for Wilder Sunday night and gave the team its best pitching performance of the year. He also hit a triple and had a couple of RBIs to help his own cause.
Moore said Sequim’s Connor Bear also had a good weekend with some big hits and good defensive play in the outfield, and that Colton Romero and Beckett Jarnagin gave Wilder some good pitching, with Jarnagin picking up a save.
Moore was also pleased with Wilder’s bats as the team scored 31 runs over the weekend.
“It shows we’re able to hit it,” he said.
Wilder has some tough games coming up this weekend at Lakeside Recovery on Saturday and Lakeside BR on Sunday. Those games are at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue and 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at Issaquah High School on Sunday.
Wilder Jr.
Wilder Jr., a AA team, began its season 0-4, but three of the four games were tough one-run losses, all on the road. Wilder Jr. lost to Mount Vernon Riverdogs on Saturday 2-1 and 6-5, then lost to the Burlington Sox 10-9 and 8-2 on Sunday.
