By Michael Carman
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — Lions built a four-run lead in the first inning, and then held off Local 155 for a 5-4 Cal Ripken Majors Baseball victory on Thursday, earning the team its second North Olympic Baseball and Softball city championship in a row.
Local 155 lead-off batter Myles Bowechop singled on the second pitch of the game and quickly came around to score on a passed ball and a Lions miscue on the attempt to throw him out for a 1-0 lead.
Lions answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring all five runs.
Payton King hit a first-pitch single to start the Lions offense and Rylan Politika walked, the pair advancing on a passed ball to put them in scoring position.
Kai Ferguson then hit a two-run single to left to take the lead.
Kason Albaugh followed with a single to put runners at the corners. A Cole Beeman sacrifice bunt scored Ferguson and Albaugh came home on an RBI triple to deep right field by Isaiah Cox.
Cox later scored on a passed ball for a 5-1 Lions’ lead.
Local responded in the second when Bowechop reached on an infield single to score Connor Ferro-May to trim the lead to 5-2.
In the top of the third Blake Merideth reached on a fielders’ choice then stole second. Mason Sergi brought him home on ground-rule RBI double and Sergi ultimately came around to score on a passed ball.
Local threatened in the sixth, putting Hunter Terrell and Alex Angevine on base with consecutive two-out walks. The pair moved into scoring position on a passed ball but Bowechop hit the ball to Beeman at second base who fielded it and tossed to Politika for the final out, securing the title.
Lions finished the game with seven hits. King went 3 for 4 and Albaugh went 2 for 3.
Bowechop led Local with two of the team’s five hits.
Elisha Dujue’ earned the win for Lions. He struck out eight and gave up three hits. Ferguson earned a save, striking out two and giving up only one hit.
Elijah Flodstrom came in to pitch in the second inning for Local, holding the Lions to zero runs. He struck out nine and limited Lions to three hits.
Lions finished the season with a record of 16-2.
NOBS softball championship OLC 3, Jim’s Pharmacy 0
PORT ANGELES — Peyton Rudd struck out 13 of the 18 batters she faced, tossing a one-hit shutout to lead Olympic Labor Council to a North Olympic Baseball and Softball city championship at Lincoln Park.
Rudd threatened to score after hitting a two-out double in the top of the first, but was thrown out at third while trying to steal the base.
Jim’s pitcher Taylor Worthington was hit by a pitch with two outs in the bottom half of the inning but Rudd recovered for her third strikeout of the frame.
OLC broke the deadlock in the second inning.
Alyssa McCallister reached base safely on a dropped third strike, moving to second on a Claire Bowechop grounder and third when the bag went uncovered. After a strikeout, McCallister scored on a fielders’ choice by Evelyn Seelye, sliding under the catcher’s tag for the games’ first run.
McCallister later walked and stole second and moved to third on a Josephine Edgington single. McCallister scored her second run when Heidi Leitz reached base on an error.
In the bottom of the inning, Rudd struck out the leadoff hitter, then caught a line drive that was blistered right back at her off Worthington’s bat. She then struck out the next batter.
Cydne Moore added an insurance run in the top of the sixth when she singled, stole second, moved to third when McCallister reached on an error and scored on a single by Edgington.
In its last turn at bat Jim’s Abby Kimball reached base on a bobbled ball, but Rudd proved too much, striking out the final two batters to earn the championship victory.
Worthington and Anne Edwards combined for 10 strike outs and four hits while giving up three runs.
OLC (8-9) finished fourth in the regular season and beat Tranco in the playoffs to make the title game.
Jim’s (11-4) topped Paint and Carpet Barn and Boulevard Chiropractic to make the championship.
Long-time youth volunteer Art Girt was recognized as the newest member to be etched into the Lincoln Park Monument before the game.
OJBR championship Forks Outfitters 12, First Federal 2
PORT ANGELES — Forks wrapped up the Olympic Junior Babe Ruth Les Shore Memorial Tournament Championship by holding down First Federal at Volunteer Field.
Forks (12-2 overall) finished with the league’s best regular season record (10-2) to take the Don Mudd Trophy as well.
Joseph Reaume notched a pair of hits, two RBIs and scored four times to lead Forks. Trey Baysinger added a double, a base hit, three RBIs and a run while Carter Windle had a hit and scored twice.
Windle struck out seven while logging six innings on the mound to earn the win for Forks.
Seth Elwood and Nolan Hughes each had a pair of hits for First Federal with Derek Dunaway also getting a hit.
Kiwanis 6, KONP 5
PORT ANGELES — Kiwanis held off a seventh-inning rally by KONP to cap an unbeaten season (11-0) and repeat as 16U softball city champions.
The scoring started early when Kiwanis’ leadoff hitter Elizabeth Groff walked and later scored on an RBI single by Jada Cargo-Acosta.
KONP’s Ella Holland ripped an RBI double to score Khloe Stanard.
Kiwanis took a 4-2 lead when Isabelle Cottam singled to score Amaris Martinez and Cargo-Acosta. Martinez had reached base by walking and moving to third on a double by Cargo-Acosta. Cottam later crossed the plate on a wild pitch after stealing two bases.
Cargo-Acosta added an RBI triple to score Groff in the fifth and Madison Belbin singled to score Jasmine Cottam in the sixth after Cottam singled and moved to third on throwing errors.
Up 6-2, KONP sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs in the top of the seventh.
With one out, Abby Root singled and Stanard and Holland walked to load the bases. Aisha Mathis then hit a two-run single and Holland scored on a fielders’ choice for the final run.
Isabelle Cottam picked up the win, allowing five runs on four hits and five walks and striking out nine.
Stanard notched a personal-best 12 strikeouts, while allowing six runs on six hits and four walks.
Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News Forks Outfitters’Carter Windle pitches during Forks’ 12-2 win over First Federal in Olympic Junior Babe Ruth’s Les Shore Memorial Tournament Championship Game at Volunteer Field.
Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News Olympic Labor Council’s Peyton Rudd slides into third base as Jim Pharmacy’s Saylah Commerton prepares to deliver the tag. Rudd was out but OLC won the City Championship 3-0.
