BREMERTON — There were no surprises at the Olympic League softball tournament as Sequim remained perfect on the year and easily won the title while rival Port Angeles claimed second place.
The Wolves (19-0) ripped Olympic (11-11) 13-0 in five innings in the semifinals, and then blanked the Roughriders (17-3) 10-0 in six innings in the championship game at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds on Saturday.
The Riders earned the right to face Sequim in the title game by beating Kingston 6-1 in the semifinals.
Port Angeles has lost only to Sequim the entire year as the two North Olympic Peninsula teams have dominated Olympic League play this year.
But the Wolves have been untouchable and will continue their second unblemished season in three years at the 2A West Central District tournament as the league’s No. 1 seed at the Sprinker Fields in Tacoma beginning Friday.
Sequim gets a bye in the loser-out first round, and next takes on the winner between North Mason and the South Puget Sound-Seamount No. 4 team in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. on Field 4 on Friday.
Do-or-die game
The Riders, meanwhile, open district play against Orting in the loser-out first round at noon on Field 6. That winner plays the South Puget Sound-Seamount No. 3 team at 4 p.m. on Field 8 in the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinal winners advance to state along with two consolation teams.
The district semifinals and finals are scheduled for Saturday at Sprinker.
The Wolves went the whole way two years ago, going undefeated for the season and winning their first state championship. Last year, they claimed fourth place in state.
Close for awhile
Port Angeles played Sequim tough during the first five innings of the league championship game, trailing just 3-0 and staying within striking distance until the Wolves exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to put a quick ending to those proceedings.
Sequim’s Alexas Besand had only one hit in the game but it was a dandy as she smacked a home run for a game-high four RBI.
Hannah Grubb had a hit and two RBI while Shelby Lott had a double for the Wolves.
Makayla Bentz went the distance on the mound, giving up just four hits while striking out eight and earning the shutout.
Sarah Steinman struck out eight in five innings for the Riders, but had control problems, walking seven.
Another big inning
Against Olympic in the semifinals, the Wolves went ahead 6-0 after two innings and then blasted away for seven in the third inning to put the game out of reach.
Besand went 2 for 3 with a home run and a double, knocking in two runs, while Lott hit two doubles, going 2 for 3 with two RBI.
Also hitting doubles were Bailey Rhodefer (3 for 4 with two RBI and three runs), Makayla Bentz, Grubb and Melissa Lewis.
Rhodefer and Grubb also displayed their speed with a stolen base each. Grubb also stole a base against Port Angeles.
Makayla Bentz pitched the first four innings, earning the win while fanning seven batters and giving up just two hits and no runs.
Lewis threw the final inning, allowing only one hit.
Championship
Sequim 10, Port Angeles 0,
six innings
Port Angeles 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 4 2
Sequim 0 0 2 1 0 7 — 10 11 1
WP- Makayla Bentz; LP- Steinman
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: Steinman 5IP, 7H, 6R, 5ER, 8K, 7BB; Cristion 0IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 0K, 2BB.
Sequim: Bentz 6IP, 4H, 0R, 8K, 4BB.
Hitting Statistics
Port Angeles: Lucas 1-2, Gray 1-2.
Sequim: Besand 1-3, HR, 4RBI, 1R; Lott 1-3, 2B; Rhodefer 2-2, 2R; Grubb 1-3, 2RBI, 1R, 1SB; Haupt 2-4, 1RBI, 1R.
Semifinals
Sequim 13, Olympic 0, five innings
Olympic 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 3 0
Sequim 2 4 7 0 x — 13 15 1
WP- Makayla Bentz; LP- Clark
Pitching Statistics
Olympic: Clark 4IP, 15H, 13R, 13ER, 1K, 2BB.
Sequim: Bentz 4IP, 2H, 0R, 7K, 3BB; Lewis 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0K, 0BB.
Hitting Statistics
Olympic: Clark 1-2, Gates 1-2.
Sequim: Besand 2-3, HR, 2RBI, 1R; Zbaraschuk 1-2, HR, 1RBI, 1R; Lott 2-3, 2B (2), 2RBI, 1R; Rhodefer 3-4, 2B, 2RBI, 3R, 1SB; Grubb 2-2, 2B, 2RBI, 2R, 1SB; Lewis 1-1, 1RBI, 2R; Makayla bentz 3-3, 1RBI.
Semifinals
Port Angeles 6, Kingston 1
Kingston 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 1 3 2
Port Angeles 0 2 2 2 0 0 x — 6 7 0
WP- Steinman; LP- Hilse
Pitching Statistics
Kingston: Hilse 6IP, 7H, 6R.
Port Angeles: Steinman 4IP, 1H, 0R; Cristion 3IP. 2H, 1R.
Hitting Statistics
Kingston: None.
Port Angeles: Lucas 2-3, 2B.
Quilcene 18, 14, Muckleshoot 0, 7
AUBURN — The Rangers’ strange Sea-Tac League season continues. Not for much longer, though.
Quilcene took a doubleheader from the only other team in league on the road Friday.
The Rangers, 14-4 overall, are one win away from a 1B state berth. That one team they have to beat is none other than . . . Muckleshoot.
Friday’s doubleheader was for the purpose of — wait for this — district seeding. Quilcene and Muckleshoot not only are the only two 1B Sea-Tac teams but they are also the only two 1B West Central District squads.
“There’s a third team in district but they backed out and didn’t want to participate [in districts],” Quilcene coach Mark Thompson said.
That means the Rangers won the league seeding games Friday and now will host Muckleshoot in a district loser-out, winner-to-state playoff game Thursday at 3:45 p.m.
Muckleshoot, an extremely young and inexperienced team, just hasn’t been able to give the Rangers much competition this year.
Quilcene is young too, with a sophomore-dominated team, but most of those sophomores have two years of varsity experience, including ace pitcher Sammy Rae, who now is 12-1 on the year.
Rae pitched Friday’s 18-0 first game, which went just three innings.
“There’s not much to say about that game because we didn’t get that many hits,” Thompson said.
“They walked us a lot, and there were a lot of [Muckleshoot] errors.”
The second game was closer because Quilcene’s reserves played most of the contest.
Still, Thompson wasn’t very happy about the way the second-stringers played.
“We have a large roster, but everyone knows that you are supposed to go out there with the right approach whether you are first string or second string,” he said.
“Our defense did not play very well [in the second game].”
Thompson used several young arms in the second game, and he was pleased with the play of at least one player.
“Bailey Kieffer pitched pretty well,” he said.
Boys Soccer
Franklin Pierce 1, Sequim 0
TUKWILA — The Wolves lost a heartbreaker at the West Central District loser-out playoffs at the Foster High School stadium.
Mitchell Baumer scored in the 19th minute for Franklin Pierce and the Cardinals held on for the victory Saturday.
“It was a tough game,” Sequim coach Dave Brasher said.
“We were there with them the whole way, and we had some good chances but we couldn’t convert.”
Franklin Pierce’s goal wasn’t artful but it was effective as the ball came in and was fumbled around in the middle of the field, then popped up and went over the Sequim goalkeeper’s head and found the back of the net.
Sequim had several strong shots on goal but just couldn’t get any inside the net.
Tyler Ebert had a couple of close shots while teammates Diego Cisneros and Mason Barrett also just missed for the Wolves.
“We played hard the whole game like we have all year,” Brasher said. “I was proud of our effort.
“Our defense played well. Lijah Sanford had a great year along with Hector Baylon and Bailey Collins in the back.
“We have had a good season, and I’m looking forward to next year.”