PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles softball let an opportunity to seal the Olympic League title outright slip away falling 11-10 to North Kitsap in frustrating fashion in the rain Thursday at Dry Creek Elementary.
“PA lost a tough one,” coach Randy Steinman said. “We had multiple opportunities but couldn’t capitalize on them. Defensively, we made too many mistakes. Peyton Rudd’s grand slam home run kept us in the game.”
The Riders trailed 5-1 when Rudd connected on the game tying blast.
Port Angeles (11-2, 16-2) wrapped its regular season against Sequim late Friday.
The Riders will play in a winner-to-state contest against a to-be-determined opponent to open district play at the Regional Athletic Center in Lacey on Friday.
NK 3 0 2 0 1 4 1 — 11 7 4
PA 1 0 0 4 0 3 2 — 10 14 5
Pitching
Port Angeles: Clark 5.2 IP, 10R, 6H, 3BB, 6K; Zimmer 1.1 IP, R, H, 2K, HB.
Hitting
Port Angeles: Rudd 3-5, 2B, HR, 4RBI, 2R; L. Halberg 3-5, 3R; Worthington 4-5, R, RBI; Zimmer 1-3, BB, 2RBI; Robinson 1-3, BB, R; Clark 1-2, 2BB, R; Smithson 1-5, R.
Boys Soccer Clover Park 2, Sequim 1
LAKEWOOD — The Wolves played evenly with the Warriors but dropped their Class 2A West Central District semifinal on a late Clover Park goal.
Sequim (11-6) will play Fife for third/fourth place today at 11 a.m. Both teams advance to the state tournament.
“It was a good close, tight match,” coach Ken Garling said of Thursday’s game. “We played well and had our chances to win.
“To start the first half we came out with good energy and we were controlling the tempo, possessing the ball and defending well.”
Sequim took a 1-0 lead about 20 minutes in.
“Rafa Flores had a really good tackle and he knocked it out wide to Aidan Henninger who took a couple of touches and hit a high, arching shot over their goalkeeper, a pretty tall kid,” Garling said.
The Wolves appeared to go up 2-0 when Tyler Lawson poked in a rebounded shot fumbled by the Warriors’ goalkeeper.
“Ethan Knight had a shot on goal from the keepers side, the keeper bobbled it and Tyler Lawson was right on it to poke it in,” Garling said. “We thought it was a goal for sure, it looked like the AR [assistant referee] thought it was a goal, but the center ref, from his position, he said that the goalkeeper had possession before Tyler gained the ball.”
Clover Park followed up by tying the game up just before halftime.
“With about two minutes left in the first half, they came up the right side, made a nice run and slotted in anice ball at a tough angle,” Garling said.
“We felt confident going into the second half that we could still play our game and we did. We traded possession back and forth with Clover Park and definitely had a few chances in that second half offensively, but we weren’t able to score and Clover Park put one away late. Our kids didn’t slow down, they kept fighting to create some chances.
“So we felt a little disappointed,” Garling said. “It’s a different game if we go up 2-0 in the first half.”
Columbia (White Salmon) 3, Forks 0
VANCOUVER — The Spartans’ season came to a close in the Class 1A District IV consolation bracket.
“[Columbia] came out very strong in the first half and scored within the first two minutes of the game,” Forks coach Ismael Ramos said.
“They scored all three goals in the first half.”
Ramos said the Spartans played better defensively and had some offensive chances in the second half, but were not playing at full strength the entire game having lost some starters to late season academic grade checks.
“It was tough,” Ramos said. “Our second half was definitely better. We had a few chances in the second half, just a little too late.”
Forks finished the season 11-8.
“This year was special because it was the first group of kids that have had me as coach all the way through,” Ramos said. “It felt like this was the first team I built.”
The Spartans will lose four seniors.
“Two of them played three years, they didn’t get the COVID season in 2020, and I am really proud of those guys, Hector Dominguez and Juan Pablo Contreras,” Ramos said.
“Ethan Bello, who hadn’t played in high school before this season, I’m very thankful that he showed up and played for us. And Victor Morales, if I needed him to step up, he would. He was always willing to work hard.”
Ramos said he expects to keep having success in the following years.
“We have a young team that gained a lot of good experience this year,” Ramos said. “I think we will be back competing for the playoffs going forward.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
Port Angeles’ Peyton Rudd, right, is greeted by her teammates as she approaches home plate after hitting a grand slam home run in the fourth inning against North Kitsap on Thursday at the Dry Creek fields in Port Angeles. Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News
Port Angeles catcher Zoe Smithson, left, tags out North Kitsap’s Alison Dovorak at home plate on Thursday in Port Angeles. Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News
Port Angeles coaches and assistants spread drying agent on the infield at the Dry Creek School softball field after a drenching rain muddied the playing surface in the first inning on Thursday against North Kitsap. Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News
Port Angeles’ Emi Halberg races to first as North Kitsap first baseman Kasey Wallace bobbles a wild throw on Thursday in Port Angeles. Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News
