By Joe Traub

Port Angeles Lefties

PORT ANGELES — After a stunning loss on Thursday in which they allowed five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in Kelowna, the Port Angeles Lefties were virtually placed into must-win mode as they fell three games behind division-leader Victoria with 10 games left to play.

The Lefties bounced back Friday, continuing their recent hot play, coming from behind to defeat the Portland Pickles 5–4 in a thriller at Civic Field after not arriving back home until 8:30 a.m. Friday after a 9-hour bus ride back from Canada.

With the score tied 4-4 and two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Austin Lively looked as if he was going to give Portland the lead with a runner on third base. He blooped a fly ball into center field. Gavin Rork came in on the ball and made a full-extension, diving catch to save the day.

Diego Altamarino singled up the middle to start the ninth for the Lefties, his first hit with the team in 17 at-bats. Brad Altomarie drew a walk before Jonny Chavez — normally a starting pitcher pressed into outfield duty — dropped down a bunt single to load the bases. Rork then lined a ball to right-center to score pinch-runner former Port Angeles Roughrider Carson Jackson (He now plays at Shoreline Community College after graduating in 2018), setting off a celebration just behind the pitchers’ mound at Civic Field.

The home team trailed 4–1 at the seventh-inning stretch when they began to rally. Alex Garcia was hit by a pitch and newcomer Rhys De Highden singled on the infield. Diego Altamarino then reached on an error to load the bases. Port Angeles was able to parlay all of that into two runs, as Brad Altomarie walked and Gavin Rork was hit by a pitch — both with the bases loaded, which brought the Lefties within 4–3.

Matt Christian manufactured the tying run in the eighth inning. He led off with a single before stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error. Garcia lifted a fly ball to center field deep enough to score Christian with the game-tying run.

Port Angeles pitchers once again did an admirable job, as starter Jack Schlotman allowed just three hits and two earned runs in six innings. New addition Nate Robinson then took over and did not allow a Pickles hit as he worked the final three frames for the victory.

With Victoria’s loss, the Lefties gained a game in the standings and now sit two games behind both the HarbourCats and Wenatchee with nine to play.

Port Angeles and Portland continued their three-game series Saturday evening after press deadline. The Lefties and Pickles will play an afternoon game at 1:35 p.m. today.

Port Angeles 5, Portland 4

Pickles 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 — 4 3 2

Lefties 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 — 5 8 3

WP: Robinson LP: Fleischli

Pitching

Pickles — Noble 5IP, 3H, ER, BB, 11K; Casillas 1.1IP, H, 2ER, BB, K; Fleischli 1.2IP, 4H, ER, BB.

Lefties — Schlotman 6IP, 3H, 2ER, BB, 6K; Robinson 3IP, 2BB, K.

Hitting

Pickles — Arndorder 2-3, RBI, BB; Rudinsky 1-4, HR, R, RBI; Lambeau 0-3, 2R, BB, SB.

Lefties — Rork 1-4, 2RBI, HBP; Garcia 1-2, R, RBI, SF, HBP; Altomarie 1-2, 2RBI, 2BB; Christian 1-4, R, SB; Palmegiani 1-4, R; De Highden 1-3, R, HBP; Jackson 1-2, R.

Thursday’s Game Kelowna 7, Lefties 6

KELOWNA, B.C. — For seven innings Thursday, it appeared as if the Port Angeles Lefties would once again achieve the upper hand in a pitchers’ duel in Canada. The Lefties led 2–0 before a late flurry of offense ended in a 7–6 walk-off victory for the Kelowna Falcons, who plated five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

After Kelowna tied the game at 2-2 in the eighth on a two-run single by Jake Fischer, Port Angeles went to work in the top of the ninth inning. With usual outfielder James Shimishita on the mound, pinch-hitter Garcia led off with a single. The bases were eventually loaded with two outs when Shimishita walked Rork to bring in the go-ahead run. Trevor Rosenberg then took four pitches out of the strike zone to score Altamarino and makes the score 4–2.

The Falcons then turned to center fielder Brayden Merritt, who made his way to the pitchers’ mound. Christian and Jonny Chavez, a normal starting pitcher who was in right field for the last four innings, both singled in runs to give the Lefties a seemingly comfortable 6–2 lead in the ninth inning..

Carter Loewen took the ball in the bottom half of the ninth and gave up a leadoff single which turned into a run on a sacrifice fly two batters later. With the score 6–3 and two outs, Brad Norton drew a walk before Cole Cummings singled. Matt Voelzke then took a walk to load the bases, bringing up Brandon Hupe, who had not batted all night. Loewen got ahead in the count 0–2 before Hupe cleared the bases with a double off the wall in right-center, tying the game. Fischer then swung at the first pitch and hit a ball to nearly the same spot, scoring Hupe and setting off a wild Falcons celebration.

The Lefties had scored two early runs on an RBI single by Ethan Groff and solo home run from Christian, his league-leading eleventh of the season. Christian also has 13 stolen bases.

Port Angeles once again saw its starting pitcher deliver a dominant performance, as Michael Buchanan allowed just two hits in five scoreless innings. Excluding Sunday’s game, Lefties starting pitchers threw 33 innings, allowing 18 hits and two earned runs in five of the six games on the road trip.

The Lefties finished the road trip 4-2, winning two of three games in both Bellingham and Kelowna.

Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Lefties outfielder Rhyse De-Hyden makes an unsuccessful dive into second after being tagged out by Portland short stop Kyle Velazquiz as his teammate Austin Lively looks on during the second inning on Friday night in Port Angeles.

Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Lefties outfielder Rhyse De-Hyden makes an unsuccessful dive into second after being tagged out by Portland short stop Kyle Velazquiz as his teammate Austin Lively looks on during the second inning on Friday night in Port Angeles.