LACEY — Port Angeles freshman Lynzee Reid came through with two crucial doubles, reaching base and scoring the tying run in the top of the seventh and driving in the eventual winning run in the Roughriders’ 7-5 district softball semifinal triumph over Fife in eight innings Friday night.
With the win, No. 7-seed Port Angeles (17-4) advanced to face No. 1 North Kitsap (20-0) for the district championship today (Saturday) at 5 p.m. back at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey.
With the Riders down to their last three outs and trailing 4-3, Reid led off the top of the seventh with a hard-hit double to left field and swiped third base.
After a Lexie Smith pop out, Cheyenne Zimmer came through with a sacrifice fly to knot the score at 4-all.
Zimmer allowed a leadoff double in Fife’s half of the inning, but got out of trouble with three straight outs to send it to extra innings.
Another Riders’ freshman, Kennedy Rognlien notched her second double of the game with one out bringing Reid to the plate. She delivered on the third pitch, sending a liner to left that brought Rognlien home.
Zimmer came through with an RBI ground out and Ava-Anne Sheahan added an RBI single for a 7-4 lead.
Zimmer allowed a two-out solo home run and a walk to Fife, but made the grab on a lined shot back to the pitcher to close out the win.
Abby Kimball also hit her second home run of the day earlier in the contest for Port Angeles.
Sequim falls in winner-to-state game
LACEY — The Wolves ran out of firepower in an 8-2 winner-to-state, loser-out district contest.
N0. 9 seeded-Sequim (11-8) put up 35 runs in earlier loser-out wins over No. 16 Lindbergh (17-0) and No. 9 White River (18-7), but could muster just five hits against the No. 5-seeded Hornets.
The Wolves dug an early hole, allowing a two-run triple and a two-run home run in the first inning.
Taylee Rome’s infield single scored Hannah Bates in the third and Sammi Bacon was hit by a pitch and moved up on an error and a passed ball and scored on a dropped third strike to pull within 4-2.
Enumclaw sealed the game with a grand-slam home run, Taylor Schneider’s second of the game, in the bottom of the fifth.
Earlier Friday
LACEY — Port Angeles is headed back to Selah after connecting on six home runs in a 15-3, 5-inning demolition of No. 2 tournament seed and No. 2 RPI Orting in a winner-to-state Class 2A West Central District Softball Tournament quarterfinal Friday.
With the blowout win No. 7-seeded Port Angeles (16-4) earned its ninth straight trip to the Class 2A State Tournament dating back to the 2012-2013 season. No state tournaments were held in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.
The Roughriders advanced to face No. 6 Fife later Friday in a contest that ended past press time. Check www.peninsuladailynews.com for an updated story.
Port Angeles allowed a first-inning home run to Orting star Kaylee Gresko, but the Riders had the answers.
Pitcher Cheyenne Zimmer doubled home Heidi Leitz to tie it at 1-1 after two innings and Lily Halberg opened the third with a solo home run to give the Riders a 2-1 lead.
Freshman Kennedy Rognlien lead off the top of the fourth with a solo shot to left field, part of a five-run fourth inning.
Lexie Smith added a two-run shot to left and after a couple of outs, Halberg singled and was brought home on Taylor Worthington’s two-run blast to left for a 7-1 lead.
Ava-Anne Sheahan’s two-run single put Port Angeles up 9-2 and started an eight-run fifth inning.
Halberg then hit her second home run of the contest — a three-run shot to where else — left field. Worthington then doubled and came home on a Natalie Robinson double for a 13-2 advantage.
The Riders’ scoring was capped by a two-run shot by Abby Kimball to left to put the Roughriders up 15-2.
Zimmer went 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
Leitz closed out the game, allowing a hit and a walk but no runs.
Port Angeles 15, Orting 3
PA 0 1 1 5 8 —15 15 0
Orting 1 0 0 1 1 — 3 6 2
WP: Zimmer
Pitching
Port Angeles — Zimmer 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K; Leitz 0.2 IP, H, BB.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Halberg 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 SB, 2 R, RBI; Worthington 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI; Robinson 1-3, BB, 2B, RBI; Kimball 1-4, R, HR, 2 RBI; Rognlien 1-3, HR, R, RBI; Leitz 2-3, 3 R; L. Smith 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI; Money 1-1, HR, R, 3 RBI
Sequim wins two
LACEY — No. 9-seeded Sequim dispatched No. 16 Lindbergh 17-0 in four innings and No. 8 White River 18-7 in two loser-out contests to advance to a winner-to-state contest late Friday against Kingston or Enumclaw.
The top of the Wolves’ order had a huge game against White River collectively going 11 for 15 at bat.
Leadoff hitter Hannah Bates had three hits, including a triple along with two RBIs. No. 2 Lexi King went off for a 5 for 6 day at the plate with a double and three RBIs and Taylee Rome was 3 for 5 with a double and a two-run home run along with four RBIs.
Sequim 19, White River 7
Sequim 0 3 4 2 7 0 0 2 —19 18 2
WR 1 0 4 0 2 0 0 — 7 7 2
WP: Vig
Pitching
Sequim — Vig 4 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 4 K; Wagner 3 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 3 K.
Hitting
Sequim — Bates 3-4, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI; King 5-6, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI; Rome 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI; Wagner 1-4, 2 R, 4 RBI; Kidd 1-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI; Vig 2-3, 2 R.
Sammi Bacon and Miki Green each drove in four runs to pace the Wolves’ attack in the win over Lindbergh.
Bacon had two hits, including a double.
Mia Pozernick doubled and hit a solo home run, scoring three times and Taylee Rome was 3 for 3 with three runs in the win.
Hannah Bates also had a big day with two hits, three stolen bases — including stealing home during the Wolves’ 11-run fourth inning explosion, along with three runs and an RBI.
Lainey Vig tossed a one-hitter, walking three and striking out four to earn the win in the circle. Vig also added a two-run triple to help her cause.
Sequim 17, Lindbergh 0
Lind. 0 0 0 0 — 0 1 0
Sequim 3 2 1 11 —17 15 0
WP: Vig
Pitching
Sequim — Vig 4 IP, H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4K.
Hitting
Sequim — Bates 2-3, BB, 3 SB, 3 R, RBI; Rome 3-3, BB, SB, 3 R, RBI; Pozernick 2-3, BB, HR 3 R, RBI; Green 2-2, BB, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI; Bacon 2-2, BB, 2B, R, 4 RBI; Wagner 1-3, R, RBI; Kidd 1-2, BB, R; Vig 1-1, 2 BB, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI.
