SEQUIM — Weston Royall likes first-pitch fastballs.
He probably likes them even more after Sequim’s 6-5 win over archrival Port Angeles in Wednesday’s Olympic League game.
The Sequim junior tattooed a couple of first-pitch fastballs for critical run-scoring hits, including the game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning, to vault the Wolves to a 1-1 split of the season series with the Roughriders.
Sequim rallied for a five-run deficit to grab the victory, the Wolves’ second in a row at home against Port Angeles.
“I’m just very proud of the kids,” said Sequim coach Dave Ditlefsen, who now has two wins over the Riders in five years.
“It would have been easy to get discouraged early, but they remained confident and kept battling.
“You never take [wins against Port Angeles] for granted. Those are always tough.”
Sequim (6-4 in league, 7-7 overall) certainly had to grind out Wednesday’s game after going down 5-0 after two innings.
The Wolves slowly chipped away with two runs in the third, one in the fourth and two more in the fifth, the last two of which came on two-run double by Royall off another first-pitch fastball from Rider reliever Justin Williams.
Royall finished 3-for-4 on the game with three RBIs.
“That’s what I like to hit,” Royall said of those first-pitch fastballs. “I notice it a lot. They try to put [that first pitch] in there for a strike, and I hit it.
“It’s a very big win. I was 3-for-4, which was icing on the cake.”
Teammate Preston McFarlen was also 3-for-4 and scored two runs, including the game-winner on Royall’s single to left field.
McFarlen was awarded home plate on the play after the infield umpire ruled Rider third baseman A.J. Konopaski interfered with McFarlen as he was rounding third.
“It was going to be close [at home plate], but I guess he got knocked down,” Ditlefsen said. “I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. It seemed like the right call to me.”
Said Port Angeles coach Bob Withrow, “It’s a shame that games end that way.
“[The umpire] said our guy was in the baseline, it looked to me that the runner just hooked on the corner. But that’s the way it is.
“On the other had we did have our opportunities.”
Indeed, Port Angeles (4-6, 4-7) couldn’t add to its five-run lead despite threatening several times in the final five innings.
Wolves starter Drew Rickerson kept Port Angeles scoreless in his final 2 2/3 innings, giving way to Alex Gillis with two out and the bases loaded in the fifth.
Gillis then got Port Angeles’ Cody Sullivan swinging to end the inning — one of three Gillis strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings — and pitched out of another jam in the seventh inning after giving up a leadoff double to Easton Napiontek.
In the end, it was enough to earn Gillis (2-1) the win on the mound.
“He plays with these [Port Angeles] kids during the summer, so he had his adrenaline going,” Ditlefsen said of his left-handed reliever. “More so than the rest of our kids, he certainly gets excited for this game.”
Sequim 6, Port Angeles 5
Port Angeles 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 – 5 7 2
Sequim 0 0 2 1 2 0 1 — 6 12 2
WP- Gillis (2-1); LP- Williams (1-2)
Pitching Statistics
Port Angeles: A.J. Konopaski 4IP (3ER, 6hits, K, 2BB, HBP); Justin Williams 2.1IP (3ER).
Sequim: Rickerson 4.2IP (5R, 5hits, 3K, 2BB); Gillis 2.1IP (3K, 2hits).
Hitting Statistics
Port Angeles: Williams 3-4 (R); Napiontek 3-3 (2B, BB); A.J. Konopaski 1-3 (BB, RBI).
Sequim: Royall 3-4 (3RBI, 2B); McFarlen 3-4 (2R, SB); Rief 2-4 (RBI).
Port Townsend 3, North Mason 2
PORT TOWNSEND — Eric Thomas smacked a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to hand the Redskins their first win of the season Wednesday.
Thomas’ game-winning hit ensured that starter Ryan Unbedacht’s complete game gem didn’t go to waste.
The Port Townsend hurler had a no-hitter entering the seventh, but after giving up two in the top of the inning, needed Thomas’s bases loaded hit to get the win.
“Our defense held up and Unbedacht pitched really well,” Port Townsend coach Tom Webster said. “It was a great game. I was just hoping we weren’t going to waste it.”
Unbedacht finished the game with nine strikeouts, three walks and just two hits given up.
Port Townsend (1-10, 1-11) hosts Kingston on Friday.
Port Townsend 3, North Mason 2
North Mason 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 – 2 2 1
Port Townsend 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 — 3 9 1
WP- Unbedacht; LP- Nys
Pitching Statistics
North Mason: Nys 6.1IP.
Port Townsend: Unbedacht 7IP (9K, 3BB, 2hits, 2ER).
Hitting Statistics
North Mason: Bielec 1-2 (BB, R); Douglas 1-2 (BB).
Port Townsend: Robinson 2-3; Thomas 2-3 (RBI, R); Unbedacht 2-4; Johnson 1-3 (2B); Juran 1-3; Aumock (R).