CORVALLIS — The Port Angeles Lefties gave the Corvallis Knights everything they could handle for two games, but the Knights showed why they are the perennial West Coast League champions, coming up clutch late to win both Friday and Saturday.
Corvallis scored three runs in the eighth inning to win 6-3 on Saturday and two runs in the seventh to win 4-3 on Friday.
The Lefties got a great performance Saturday from starter Riley Ricken (Cal State, San Bernardino) went 5⅓ innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs. He walked five and struck out four. Eric Schumann (Embry-Riddle) gave up the three runs in the eighth and took the loss.
Jason Leon (Cal State, Bakersfield) went 2-for-4 with a double, raising his batting average to .412. Travis Helm (Central Washington) was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Zach Blair (Mount Hood CC) got on base in every plate appearance, going 2-for-2 with a triple, a run scored, an RBI and two walks.
Jeremy Giesegh (Cal State, San Bernardino) hit a triple and scored a run. He also had a sacrifice fly for an RBI.
The Lefties are 3-8 in the North Division after the early weekend games. The Knights are 12-1 and lead the South Division. The result of Sunday’s game was after press deadline. For results, go online at www.peninsuladailynews.com.
Corvallis 6, Port Angeles 3
PA 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 3 10 0
Cor. 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 x — 6 11 1
WP: Rizzo. LP: Schumann. SV: Kuehl
Pitching
Port Angeles — Ricken 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K; Acker 0.2 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB; Schumann 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, Hagopian 0.1 IP.
Corvallis — Segel 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 K; Clevinger IP, H, BB, 3 K; Segel 2 IP 3 H, ER, K; Rizzo IP, H; Kuehl IP, H.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Leon 2-4, 2B; Helm 2-4, R; Blair 2-2, 3B, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB; Giesegh 1-4, 3B, R, RBI, SF.
Corvallis — Khansarinia 3-5, 2B, R, RBI; Dufort 3-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB; Takeuchi 2-4, 2 R, BB; Cabrera 3-5, R.
Friday’s game
The Lefties and former Port Angeles Roughrider John Vaara gave Corvallis all it could handle Friday night, losing a tight contest 4-3.
Vaara, now pitching for Edmonds College, pitched three scoreless inning to start the game. He ended up going 3⅔ innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs, while walking three and striking out three.
Josh Verkuilen (Cal State, San Bernardino) pitched well in relief, but took the loss. He went 4⅓ innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs. He walked none and struck out three.
Port Angeles got off to a hot start, plating two runs against the Knights in the first inning to quiet the home crowd. Giesegh started off the game with a leadoff single, continuing his strong stretch in West Coast League play. He went 2-for-5 with a run scored, raising his league batting average to .378.
Roberto Garza-Nunez (Embry Riddle) drove in Giesegh with a single in the first inning and Kosei Suzuki (Frank Phillips College) brought Garza-Nunez home with a single of his own. Nunez finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and Suzuki was 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. He also stole three bases. Jack Kleveno (Utah) was 2-for-4.
The Lefties had their 3-0 lead slowly evaporate as the Knights scored two runs in both the fourth and sixth innings, which turned out to be all they needed.
Corvallis 4, Port Angeles 3
PA 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 3 10 0
Cor. 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 x — 4 13 2
WP: Casey. LP: Verkuilen. SV: Horn.
Pitching
Port Angeles — Vaara 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; Verkuilen 4.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 K.
Corvallis — Riske 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K; Casey 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 K; Hoskinson IP, H, BB; Horn IP, K.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Giesegh, 2-5; Leon 1-4, SB; Nunez 2-4, R, RBI; Suzuki 3-4, R, RBI, 3 SB; Kleveno 2-4.
Corvallis — Dufort 3-4, R, 2 RBI; Yukumoto 2-3, 3B, R, RBI; Vazquez 2-4; Miller 2-3, BB.
Thursday’s game
Thursday’s game was posted online. The Walla Walla Sweets won the final game of their series against the Lefties 4-3. Julio Vasquez (Henderson State) hit a home run for the Lefties while Garza-Nunez was 2-for-5 and Yahir Ramirez (Texas A&M, Corpus Christi) was 2-for-4.
The Lefties gave up the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on a play at the plate in which the Sweets baserunner was called safe.
Lefties player and intern Ryan Wike contributed to this article.
