PORT ANGELES — More accustomed to playing against power pitchers in both the traditionally strong Evergreen League and in travel ball matchups, Forks had to slow down at the plate against the Seattle Prep Panthers.
That strategy, along with a two-hit, 10-strikeout performance from pitcher Chloe Leverington boosted the Spartans to an 11-1 five-inning win over their Class 3A opponents Saturday at the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s Billy Whiteshoes Memorial Park.
The Spartans followed up that win with an 8-4 victory over Coupeville at the same field on Saturday afternoon for a sweep on the day heading into a huge doubleheader today against Lakeside (9 Mile Falls), the defending 1A state champion.
“I wish [Seattle Prep] would have been a little stronger with the pitching of course, but we needed that,” Forks coach Dennis Dean Jr. said. “We’ve been struggling with the slow stuff. When it goes slow, we get out in front [and swing too early.] We don’t see those type of pitchers in our league. So we adjusted, we brought everybody up to the front of the plate and got some hits.”
Leverington was on from the start, striking out the side in the top of the first and recording five strikeouts through the first two innings.
“She was pitching like crazy,” Spartans catcher Rian Peters said. “Her balls were breaking so well. Her rise ball was perfect and she was getting people to chase it.”
Leverington also helped her own cause in Forks’ first time at bat, connecting on a two-run single to left field to give the Spartans an early lead.
Forks took advantage of a passed ball on a dropped third strike to Elli Kilmer with two outs and a runner on base in the bottom of the second.
Peters followed Elli Kilmer at the plate and hit a three-run home run to right field for a 5-0 Forks lead.
“I’m really bad against slower pitchers, so I had to tell myself to wait on the ball and slow myself down, pretty much,” Peters said.
Julia Lausche led off the third with another home run, a solo shot to left-center to make it 6-0 Spartans.
“It was nice to see our shortstop [Lausche] hit a home run,” Dean said. “Rian, I expect a few out of her and she hasn’t been hitting them, so that was good to see as well.”
Forks took advantage of Seattle Prep errors to score another run in the third and one more in the fourth.
Natalie Lausche doubled to the wall in right field to open the fifth for the Spartans. Two batters later, Peters doubled to left field to score a run and a Jayden Olson RBI groundout and throwing error brought in the final two runs to end the game early via the 10-run rule.
Against Coupeville, Britney Dean went the whole way on the mound, giving up just three hits and three walks in seven innings while striking out three and allowing three earned runs.
Peters followed up her home run with a 3 for 4 game against the Wolves. Leverington was 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Jayden Olson was 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.
The Spartans (1-1, 4-2) will face Lakeside at Montesano High School on Monday before taking spring break. Lakeside has only played two games all year because of snow on the east side, but they have beaten Gonzaga Prep 16-4 and Newport 12-1. Gonzaga Prep and Newport are both 4A schools.
Dean said Lakeside called him this winter looking to set up a game out west against the Spartans.
“It will be interesting to see how we do against them,” he said.
Sports Editor Pierre LaBossiere contributed to this report.
Forks 11, Seattle Prep 1
SP 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 2 4
Forks 2 3 2 1 3 — 11 9 2
WP: Leverington LP: Felton
Pitching
Seattle Prep — Felton 3IP, 7H, 7R, 2BB; Killalea 2IP, 4R, 2H, 2K.
Forks — Leverington 5IP, 2R, 2H, 2BB, 10K.
Hitting
Seattle Prep — Baker 1-2, R; H. Docktor 1-2, RBI.
Forks — Peters 2-4, R, 2B, HR, 4RBI; Leverington 1-2, ROE, 2RBI; J. Lausche 1-3, R, HR, RBI; N. Lausche 1-2, R, ROE, 2B; Olson 2-3, RBI. M. Rondeau 1-3; Kilmer 1-3.
Forks 8, Coupeville 4
Forks 3 0 2 0 2 1 0 — 8 11 0
C’Ville 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 — 4 3 0
WP: Dean
Pitching
Forks — Dean 7IP, 3H, 3ER, 3K, 3BB.
Hitting
Forks — Leverington 3-4, 2B, 2RBI; Peters 3-4; Olson 2-4, 2B, 3RBIs.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Forks’ Chloe Leverington watches as the ball gets past Seattle Prep first baseman Grace Behrman in the fourth inning of the first game of a double header on Saturday at Billie Whiteshoes Memorial Park in Port Angeles.
