BELLINGHAM — The Port Angeles Lefties have been struggling at the plate of late, but their bats woke up late Sunday against Bellingham, putting a scare into the Bells.
In the end, the Lefties’ rally came up short in a 4-2 loss, but the two runs in the eighth inning snapped a 25-inning scoreless drought.
In fact, Port Angeles was actually getting no-hit into the sixth inning and found itself down 4-0 in another good pitching battle. The Lefties came to life in the eighth with back-to-back singles by Kyle Becker (Nevada) and Travis Helm (Central Washington). After a couple of outs, Roberto Nunez, the Lefties’ best hitter, came through with a two-run single to give Port Angeles a chance. Bellingham was able to end the rally on a fielder’s choice and slammed the door in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts.
Still, it was a positive sign in a rough three-game sweep against the Bells. The Lefties got shut out both Friday and Saturday night, though their pitching was decent in both games.
Nunez (Embry-Riddle) finished 2-for-4 to raise his average to .349. His 59 hits are second in the West Coast League. Mauricio Guardado (Los Angeles Mission College) hit a double.
On the mound, Colby Scheuber (Grays Harbor College) took the loss, going 4⅔ innings and allowing four hits and three earned runs. He walked two and struck out two.
Nelson Smith (Arkansas-Little Rock), Brock Mayer (Chaffey College) and CJ Lewis (Jackson State) went a combined 3 1/3 out of the bullpen, allowing four hits, one earned run and two walks.
The game was also clean defensively with neither team making an error.
Bellingham 4, Port Angeles 2
PA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 — 2 5 0
B’ham 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 x — 4 8 0
WP: Swaim LP: Scheuber SV: Moore.
Pitching
PA — Smith IP, H; Scheuber 4.2 IP 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; Mayer 0.1 IP, K; Lewis 2 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, K.
B’ham — Swaim 5 IP, 4 BB, 2 K; Molina IP, 3K; Urbina IP, 2 H; Drew IP, 3 H, 2 ER, K; Moore IP, 2 K.
Hitting
PA — Nunez 2-4, Guardado 1-3, 2B, Becker 1-2, R.
B’ham — Schmidt 2-4, 3B, R; Valdez 2-4, Parker 2-3, R; Christensen 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI.
Saturday’s game
Again, the Lefties got decent pitching, allowing just six hits, but they were shut out for the second straight game by Bellingham’s pitching, dropping a 6-0 game Saturday.
The Lefties allowed just six hits. Reid Rasmussen started and took the loss, going five innings and allowing five hits and four earned runs. He walked five and struck out one.
The Lefties got a double from Julio Vasquez (Howard) and singles by Nunez and Aiden Arriaga (College of the Desert). Arriaga also had a walk and got on base after being hit by a pitch.
Port Angeles (4-17 second half, 12-36 overall) has today off to travel to Edmonton, Alberta, for a three-game series against the Riverhawks (8-13, 15-33).
Bellingham 6, Port Angeles 0
PA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 3 2
B’ham 0 1 2 1 2 0 0 0 x — 6 6 0
WP: Van Beek LP: Rasmussen.
Pitching
PA — Rasmussen 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, K; Valdez 3 IP, H, 2 BB, K.
B’ham — Van Beek 4 IP, H, 2 BB, K; Saunders 2 IP, H, BB, K; Wendler IP, H, BB, K; O’Brien IP, K; Egger IP, BB.
Hitting
PA — Vasquez 1-3, 2B; HBP; Nunez 1-4; Arriaga 1-1, HBP.
B’ham — Valdez 1-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB; Schmidt 1-4, R, RBI; Ruiz 1-4, RBI.
