ALACHUA, Fla. — Qualifying for the Cal Ripken Major World Series is hard enough.
Traveling from Port Angeles to Florida was just as brutal, if not more so, for the Port Angeles 12U team.
The Pacific Northwest regional champions opened the World Series with a 11-0 loss to Bismarck, N.D., in four innings Wednesday.
“I saw it when we were hitting in batting practice, that glossy look of not having enough sleep,” Port Angeles coach Rob Merritt said following Wednesday’s game.
Port Angeles began its journey at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and arrived at its hotel in Florida at 11:30 p.m.
Adding to the grind was flying out of Portland rather than Seattle.
Port Angeles then played the first game of the tournament, which began at 12:30 p.m., in, according to Merritt, 95-degree heat with 90 percent humidity.
The area team managed two hits in the game, singles by Milo Whitman and Derek Bowechop.
Ethan Floodstrom pitched two innings for Port Angeles, while Lucas Jarnagin and Tanner Lunt threw one inning each.
Port Angeles has an even earlier start today, facing Sylvan Hills, Ark., at 10 a.m.
Merritt said the team headed back to its hotel soon after Wednesday’s loss.
“We’re going to eat pizza, and I told them bedtime is 8:30 p.m.,” Merritt said.
