LONGVIEW — The Lefties certainly have seen enough of the Cowlitz Black Bears for now, getting out of town after being swept in a three-game series.
The Lefties lost a couple of close ones against the Black Bears, one with great pitching and another with great hitting by both teams. On Sunday, the Lefties blew up for 10 runs in the first three innings, but their pitchers gave up 12 walks and four wild pitches and the Lefties’ defense made five errors, allowing the Black Bears back in the game. Cowlitz went on to win 16-12, coming back from an early 10-3 deficit with six runs in the third and three more in the fifth.
The game was tied 12-12 in the seventh, but the Black Bears were able to tack on two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth, while Cowlitz pitchers Davis Baillie and Nick Strange were finally able to quiet the Lefties’ bats in the final two innings. The Lefties Sean Roby and Ian Nowak got on base in the ninth inning with just one out, but Strange got two straight strikeouts to end the threat.
The Lefties had 15 hits, including a home run from Benny Kaleiwahea. Sean Roby, Brody Kato, Michael Ciancio and Kaleiwahea all had two hits for the Lefties, with Ciancio and Roby each driving in two runs. Ciancio and Kato also scored two runs each. Jake Portaro scored three runs and Marten Pauwells had two RBIs.
The Black Bears’ Nyles Nygaard went 5-for-6 in the game.
The Lefties played their past two games in temperatures in the mid-90s in Longview. The Lefties (9-14) traveled to Wenatchee on Monday for a three-game series that begins today. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 90s today in Wenatchee.
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Roby’s two RBIs gives him 19 for the season, good for second in the West Coast League.
Cowlitz 16, Port Angeles 12
Lefties 4 1 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 — 12 15 5
Bears 1 2 6 0 3 0 2 2 x — 16 15 1
WP: Baille LP: Olson
Pitching
Lefties — Charles 2.1IP, 4H, 6ER, 5BB; Bonniksen 3.2IP, 5ER, 3BB, K; Olson 1IP, 2ER, BB; Smith 1IP, 2ER, 3BB, K.
Bears — Tellache 2IP, 7H, 8ER, BB; Strickland 4IP, 4H, ER, BB, 2K; Baillie 2IP, 2H, 2ER, 2BB, 2K; Strange 1IP, 2H, 2K.
Hitting
Lefties — Nowak 3-5, 2B; Kaleiwahea 2-4, HR, R, RBI; Roby 2-5, 2B, R, 2RBI; Ciancio 2-4, 2B, 2R, 2RBI, BB; Kato 2-5, 2R, BB; Kendall 1-1, 2B; Portaro 1-2, 3R, RBI, BB; Pauwells 1-4, R, 2RBI.
Bears — Nygaard 5-6, 2B, 3R, 2RBI, SB; Pearson 3-5, R, 2RBI; McKinney 2-5, 2R, 3RBI; Kim 1-2, 2R, 2RBI, 3BB; Granberg 1-2, R, 2RBI, 4BB; Stenkiewitcz 1-2, 2R, RBI; Quiggle 1-4, 2R, RBI, 2BB, SB.