LEFTIES: Port Angeles opens road trip with 6-2 loss to Kelowna

Peninsula Daily News

KELOWNA — The high-powered Lefties could only manage five hits against a trio of Kelowna pitchers in a 6-2 road loss.

The Lefties came into Tuesday’s game leading the West Coast League in home runs and runs scored, but they ran into a buzzsaw from Falcons pitchers Stone Churby, Kellan Richards and Zane Lindeman. In addition to the combined five hits, the Falcons’ trio also gave up just one walk.

Braden De Benedictis went 2 for 4 for the Lefties, while Evan Pace went 1 for 3 with a run and an RBI. Jason Dicochea had a double and a run scored and Justin VanDeBrake went 1 for 4.

The Lefties’ pitchers went toe-to-toe with Kelowna’s hurlers except for a bad fifth inning in which the Falcons scored four of their five runs, helped by two doubles and a Lefties error.

Lefties starter Ron Brown went four innings, giving up one earned run on three hits and three walks while striking out three. Matt Dunaway pitched three innings of relief, giving up two hits, no walks and one run while striking out four. Tyler Oldenberg pitched the fifth inning and took the loss, giving up four runs.

The loss drops the Lefties into fifth place in the WCL’s North Division. The Lefties (10-12) played Kelowna (10-9) Wednesday night after press deadline. They play the Falcons again tonight with Baxter Halligan listed to start the game.

Falcons 6, Lefties 2

Lefties 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 2 5 2

Falcons 0 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 0 — 6 10 2

WP: Churby LP: Oldenberg

Pitching

Lefties — Brown 4IP, 3H, ER, 3BB, 3K; Oldenberg 1IP, 5H, 4ER; Dunaway 3IP, 2H, 4K.

Falcons — Churby 6.1IP, 5H, 2ER, BB, 4K; Richards 0.2

Hitting

Lefties — De Benedictis 2-4; Dicochea 1-4, 2B, R; Pace 1-3, R, RBI; VanDebrake 1-4.

Falcons — Williams 3-5, R, RBI; Suponchick 2-4, Torgerson 1-4, 2R; Wright 1-3, 2B, R, 3RBI; Butler 1-3, RBI, BB.

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