By Joe Traub
For Peninsula Daily News
PORTLAND, Ore. — On a cool evening in Portland, the Port Angeles Lefties bats heated up while their pitchers kept the opposing Pickles down in a 7–1 victory at Walker Stadium.
The Lefties (3-2, 1-1 WCL) wasted no time jumping in front, as leadoff hitter Justin Fugitt singled and Ronnie Rust doubled him over to third base. Fugitt scored on a balk by Portland starter Colin Suter. Rust then crossed home plate on C.J. Schauwecker’s sacrifice fly to give Port Angeles starter Frankie Scalzo a 2–0 lead before he took the mound Wednesday night.
Scalzo was in control throughout his outing, not allowing a hit through three innings and finishing up with two hits allowed in four frames while walking one and striking out one.
Damiano Palmegiani doubled the Lefties’ lead in the fourth inning, smashing a two-run home run over the left field wall to give the visitors a 4–0 advantage. The Pickles (3-1, 1-1 WCL) plated their only run of the contest in the bottom of the frame when John Andorfer led off with a double and came around to score on a single from Kyle Manzardo.
The rest of the scoring was taken care of by Nick DiPonzio, who entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter and delivered a two-run single off the bench. In the eighth, DiPonzio doubled in Alex Garcia for the final run of the night.
The Port Angeles bullpen was dominant. A.C. Chavez (1-0), Jonny Chavez and Carter Loewen combined for 11 strikeouts in the final five innings, including eight over the last three frames.
With the victory, the Lefties evened up the three-game series at one win apiece. Port Angeles went for the series win late Thursday and will return home for a three-game series against the Bellingham Bells tonight at Civic Field.
Lefties broadcaster Joe Traub will provide play-by-play on Facebook Live.
Port Angeles 7, Portland 1
PA 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 — 7 14 1
PDX 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 4 1
WP: Scalzo LP: Suter
Pitching
Port Angeles — Scalzo 4IP, 2H, ER, BB, K; A. Chavez 2.2IP, H, 5K; J. Chavez 1.1IP, 3K; Loewen 1IP, H, BB, 3K.
Portland — Suter 3.1IP, 6H, 4ER, BB, 3K; Montoya 0.2IP, BB, K; Schapira 3IP, 4H, 2ER, BB, K; Hubbs IP, 3H, R; Kelly Ip, H, BB, 2K.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Fugitt 3-4, SB, 2B, 2R; Rust 1-3, 2B, R; DiPonzio 2-2, 2B, 2RBI; Palmegiani 1-4, R, 2RBI; Schauwecker 2-4, RBI; Rosenberg 2-5, SB, 2B; Hurn 1-3, 2B.
Portland — Manzardo 2-3, BB, RBI; Arndorfer 2-3, 2B, BB, R.
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Compiled from team reports. Email scores to [email protected] or phone 360-417-3525.
