YAKIMA — Quilcene is the only North Olympic Peninsula softball team still alive its state softball tournament after the first day of action.
For the fourth consecutive season, Quilcene opened the Class 1B tournament with a loss to Almira-Coulee-Hartline, falling 3-2 at Gateway Sports Complex on Friday.
Quilcene bounced back with a 13-4 win over Naselle on Friday evening, keeping the Rangers’ hopes for a third straight state trophy alive.
They have earned fourth place the past two seasons. A win over Sunnyside Christian today at 2 p.m. would guarantee Quilcene at least matches that accomplishment, as it would move them into the third-place game at 4 p.m. in which they would face the winner between Colton or Curlew.
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SELAH — Friday was a tough day on the diamond as four North Olympic Peninsula teams struggled at their state softball tournaments.
Port Angeles and Sequim were bounced from the Class 2A state softball tournament after each lost two games Friday at Carlon Park.
Chimacum was eliminated from the 1A state tournament at Columbia Playfields in Richland.
Port Angeles falls
The Roughriders were dispatched from state after losing to the Anacortes Seahawks 8-5 Friday.
Port Angeles allowed a run in the second and three in the bottom of the fourth to trail 4-0.
An RBI double from Carly Gouge and an RBI single from Jaidyn Larson in the top of the fifth helped the Riders cut Anacortes’ lead to 4-2.
But an error-filled sixth inning helped Anacortes send four runners across for an 8-2 lead.
Port Angeles’ attempt at a rally was thwarted in its last time up to bat.
Gouge and Larson doubled, and then Gouge scored on an infield single from Alicia Howell.
A two-out, two-run single from Taylar Clark brought the Riders within 8-5, but they couldn’t keep the rally alive.
The Riders ended their season with a 20-3 record.
They beaten by W.F. West 15-3 in five innings to open state.
Port Angeles freshman Natalie Steinman hit a three-run home run in the top of the third inning to pull the Riders within 5-3, but the Bearcats answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 7-3 lead.
The Port Angeles bats were silent after Steinman’s homer.
W.F. West ended the game early on a grand slam by Ali Graham in the fifth inning.
Sequim sent home
Orting edged the Wolves 6-5 in the consolation bracket, eliminating Sequim from the state tournament.
Sequim fell 10-0 to Othello in the opening round of state.
The Wolves ended their season with a 15-9 record.
Chimacum done at 1A tourney
The Cowboys were eliminated from state with a 10-0 loss to Deer Park.
Earlier Friday, Chimacum allowed a late five-run rally to lose to Cle Elum-Roslyn 7-4 in the opening round of state.
Chimacum held leads of 3-1 after the first inning and 4-2 after its turn at the plate in the top of the sixth inning, but the Warriors came back to win.
Quilcene at 1B tourney
The Rangers fell in the opening round to Almira-Coulee-Hartline for the fourth consecutive season, losing 3-2 to the Warriors at Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima Friday.
Quilcene will face Naselle in a loser-out contest Friday evening.
