PORT ANGELES — Wilder Baseball continued to feast on Olympia’s Sandberg Baseball.
The area Senior Babe Ruth team of Sequim and Port Angeles players took three of four games from Sandberg at Civic Field over the weekend, and all four of Wilder’s wins this season have come against Sandberg.
Sandberg skipper Eric Lane may get a shot at a little slice of revenge later this week, though.
If his coaching schedule allows, Lane, a Port Angeles graduate, will face the current Wilder team in the Wilder alumni game under the lights at Civic Field this Saturday.
Wilder (4-4) took the first three games of the weekend series with Sandberg.
Wilder pounded out 11 hits to win the opener 9-3 Saturday.
Eathen Boyer had three of those hits, including two doubles, scored two runs and drove in two more.
Boyer swung the bat well for Wilder throughout weekend, going 8 for 11 with four doubles, seven runs and three RBIs over the four games.
Evan Hurn and Larsson Chapman each doubled, drove in two runs and scored a run for Wilder.
James Grubb added one hit and an RBI.
Wilder put the game away with two-out rally that led to a four-run fifth inning and turned a 5-3 lead into a 9-3 advantage.
Curan Bradley started the action with a single, and Brady Konopaski walked. Dusty Bates drove in Bradley with a base hit and moved Konopaski from first to third.
Chapman doubled to bring in Bates and Konopaski, and Boyer capped the scoring by driving in Chapman with a double.
“A good little rally,” Wilder manager Mike Politika said.
Tanner Rhodefer started on the mound and went five innings for Wilder. He struck out nine while allowing five hits and three runs and walking nine.
Grubb pitched two innings of relief, fanning four, walking four and giving up one hit.
In Saturday’s nightcap, Sandberg took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first but only manage one more run against Wilder starter Travis Paynter.
Paynter pitched a complete game, mowing down eight and allowing nine hits and walking only one in seven innings.
“What impressed me with his performance is 25 of 29 his batters were first-pitch strikes,” Politika said.
Boyer was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs, while Hurn doubled, scored and drove in a run, and Ricky Crawford had an RBI double in the fourth inning.
Wilder trailed 3-2 before plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead.
In Sunday’s first game, Janson Pederson continued his hot pitching stretch that began near the end of Port Angeles’ high school season, tossing a complete game and keeping Sandberg’s bats quiet in a 9-1 win.
Pederson allowed only one run, three hits and two walks while striking out four.
“He’s definitely coming on, for sure,” Politika said.
Wilder spread out eight hits among seven batters.
Hurn had two hits and scored two runs, and seven others had one hit: Bates singled, scored twice and drove in a run; Konopaski had a double, a run and an RBI; Chapman had a double, a run and an RBI; Boyer scored one run and drove in another; Paynter doubled and drove in a run; and Rhodefer was 1 for 1 with an RBI and three walks.
Sandberg finally beat Wilder in Sunday’s second game by a score of 4-3.
Sandberg scored three runs in the first, and Wilder was unable to make up the deficit.
“We had many opportunities that we just didn’t take advantage of,” Politika said.
Konopaski, Boyer and Luke Angevine accounted for all six of Wilder’s hits.
Konopaski went 3 for 4 with a double, Boyer was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs and Angevine was 1 for 2 with an RBI.
“Other than that, it was pretty anemic on the offensive side,” Politika said.
In one inning, Wilder had the bases loaded, and Rhodefer smacked a line drive that nearly carried over the shortstop’s head. Nearly, but not quite.
In the bottom of the seventh, Konopaski led of with a double and was moved over to third base.
Chapman hit into a fielder’s choice that failed to advance Konopaski from third.
Then the threat ended with a game-ending double play.
“That’s baseball,” Politika said. “We hit the ball hard, it just went right to guys.
“Overall [for the weekend], we hit the ball really well, pitched it well and played good defense.”
Wilder hosts North Kitsap’s AAA American Legion team for a rare midweek game tonight at 6 p.m. at Civic Field.
Then Wilder will have its first alumni game Saturday night.
Former Wilder and Aggies — what the program was originally known as — players confirmed to participate are Mike Mudd, Scott Schwagler, Thor Gunderson, Politika, Scott Napiontek, Jon D’Amore, Danny Clawson, Wayne Damon, Dayne Brown, Zac Moore, Jared Anderson, Perry Knudson, Chad Wagner, Corey Hall, Ben Grubb, Danny Romero, Augie Konopaski, A.J. Konopaski, Marcus Konopaski and Ryan Mudd.
Lane, Rian Anderson and Michael Dean also might play.
Politika said the alumni players are asked to arrive at Civic Field at 5 p.m. for a meet and greet and batting practice.
The game will begin at approximately 7 p.m.
The public is invited to watch the game.
