PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Lefties have struggled a bit out of the gate this season, but they put it all together in one explosive seventh inning Sunday afternoon, sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring nine runs to come from behind and beat the Springfield Drifters 10-7.
The Lefties went into the seventh inning down 6-1, but just kept coming in the seventh. Derek Gifford (Howard Payne) and Chris Schuchart (San Mateo College) did the most damage. Schuchart scored after a single and later hit a two-run single, while Gifford had a two-run double and an RBI double, all in the seventh.
The Drifters tried to rally in the eighth inning, loading the bases and getting one run in to make it 10-7, but relief pitcher Garrett Holpuck (Centralia College) got the final out on a fly ball to get out of the jam. He slammed the door shut in the ninth to earn the save and finish off the game.
Jack O’Brien started, going 3⅓ innings and allowing four earned runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out two. CJ Lewis (Jackson State) picked up the victory, going a near-perfect 2⅔ innings, allowing one hit, no walks and striking out three.
Robert Nunez (Embry-Riddle) was 3-for-5 with an RBI, raising his average to .481 (13-for-27). Catcher Chase Taylor (Hawaii-Pacific) was 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.
The Lefties (2-6) play a rare home game at Civic Field at 6:35 p.m. today, playing Juan de Fuca Strait rival Victoria HarbourCats in the beginning of a three-game series.
Port Angeles 10, Springfield 7
Spr. 0 1 1 3 0 0 1 1 0 — 7 10 0
PA 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 0 x — 10 9 3
WP: Holpuck LP: Calnon
Pitching
Spr. — Brinkley 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 8 K; VanderWeyst 2 IP, H, 2 K; Calnon IP, 2 H, 3 ER; Barnes 0.1 IP, 3 H, 6 ER, 2 BB; Vohs 0.2 IP.
PA — O’Brien 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Lewis 2.2 IP, H, 3 K; Holpuck 3 IP, 4 H, 4 K.
Hitting
Spr. — Santana 3-5, R, RBI; May 2-4, 2 2B, R; Jeffrey 2-5, 2B, R; Mullens 1-4, R, RBI; Calnon 1-5 2B, R.
PA — Gifford 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB; Schuchart 2-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB; Taylor 2-2 2B, R, RBI, BB; Nunez 2-5, RBI; Kim 1-4, R, RBI; Billings 0-1, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB.
Saturday’s games
PORT ANGELES — Springfield managed to score eight runs on just eight hits in an 8-3 victory over the Lefties on Saturday.
The game started about an hour late because Friday night’s suspended game had to be completed.
The Lefties were tied 2-2 in Saturday night’s game going into the seventh inning, but the Drifters scored six runs over the final three innings to pull away.
Joey Peralta (Mt. San Antonio College, Calif.) started the game for the Lefties, going 4⅔ innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs. He walked one and struck out three. Kole Acker (Port Angeles High School/Mount Hood CC), took the loss, going one inning and allowing four earned runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out one.
Christopher Mazza (Long Island U) and newly arrived Wes Peninger (Utah Valley) combined to pitch 2⅓ scoreless innings, allowing zero hits combined. Lefties pitchers finished with six walks and nine strikeouts.
The Lefties had seven hits. Barrett Rose (Stephen F. Austin), Owen Allsup (West Texas A&M) and Sam Adams (Stephen F. Austin) all hit doubles with Allsup picking up an RBI.
In Friday night’s game concluded on Saturday due to heavy rain the night before, the Drifters strung together three singles in the top of the 13th inning to drive in one run and take a 4-3 lead. The Lefties were three-up, three-down in the bottom of the 13th. Port Angeles’ Brock Mayer (Chaffey College) took the loss.
Saturday’s box score
Springfield 8, Port Angeles 3
Spr. 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 — 8 8 2
PA 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 — 3 7 1
WP: John Over LP: Kole Acker
Pitching
Spr. — Dotson 4 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 3 K; Over 2 IP, H, ER, 3 K; Koons 2.1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 4 K; Tims 0.2 IP, K.
PA — Peralta 4.2 IP, 2 ER, Bb, 3 K; Mazza 1.1 IP, BB, 2 K; Acker IP, 3 H 4 ER, 2 BB, K; Peninger IP, BB, K; Kim IP, H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K.
Hitting
Spr. — Jeffrey 1-2, 2B, 2 R, 3 BB; May 1-4, 2B, R, RBI; Santana 1-4 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 SB; May 1-4, R, RBI.
PA — Rose 1-4, 2B, SB; Allsup 1-2, 2B, RBI; Adams 1-3, 2B; Jackson 1-4, R, BB, SB; Flores 1-3, R; Nunez 1-1, SB.
