The 16U Port Angeles Illusion select softball team took second place at the National Softball Association Western World Series. Team members are

The 16U Port Angeles Illusion select softball team took second place at the National Softball Association Western World Series. Team members are

SOFTBALL: Port Angeles Illusion 16U place second at world series

SNOHOMISH — The Port Angeles Illusion 16U A select softball team wrapped a successful season with a second-place finish at the National Softball Association’s Western World Series.

The Illusion recorded a 4-3 overall mark in pool and bracket play, with two losses coming at the hands of host, and eventual champion, the Snohomish Swat.

In Saturday’s championship game, Illusion went up by a 3-0 margin in the third inning, but the team’s bats went quiet, unable to come up with clutch hits in a 6-3 loss.

Port Angeles opened the tournament by splitting a pair of pool play contests.

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The Illusion bested the Easton (Calif.) Bullets 9-1 on the strength of a two-hitter by starting pitcher Nizhoni Wheeler.

Chimacum’s Ryley Eldridge led the offense, going 2 for 2 with a home run.

The Illusion were edged 7-6 by the White Rock (British Columbia) Thunder in their second contest.

Brennan Gray and Kylee Reid scored early runs for Port Angeles.

The Illusion tied the game at 5-all on a pair of singles by Sierra Robinson and Jaidyn Larson and the contest went to extra innings.

Port Angeles took the lead when Reid scored on a groundout by Saige Hefton, but couldn’t hang on as White Rock plated two for the win.

The Illusion opened bracket play with a 4-2 win over the Bakersfield (Calif.) Nitro.

Both teams were scoreless through four innings when Reid came through with a two-RBI single to score Wheeler and Eldridge, who had reached base via a single and an error, respectively.

Port Angeles got some revenge in its second bracket-play game, besting a Mayhem 99 team that beat the Illusion at the state tournament.

With the game tied at 2-2 in the sixth, Port Angeles scored three runs on a Natalie Steinman single and consecutive doubles by Eldridge, Gray and Reid.

More revenge came in a 10-2 win in five innings against White Rock to close bracket play.

Reid homered to center to put the Illusion on the board in third and Larson ended the contest with a grand-slam homer to left to score Reid, Boyd and Nikki Price, who all reached base on singles.

Port Angeles fell to Snohomish 3-1 in the semifinals, the Illusion’s lone run coming when Larson doubled and scored on a Natalie Steinman groundout.

A three-run error in the sixth inning allowed Snohomish to escape with the win.

A five-run fourth inning pushed Port Angeles past White Rock and on to the championship game in a 10-3 consolation bracket victory.

Gray belted a two-run double in the first to score Larson and Robinson.

A double by Eldridge, and a triple by Price led the attack in the fourth.

The Illusion finished the season with an overall record of 20-7.

The team also finished second at the National Softball Association state tournament.

Port Angeles was coached by Mitch Gray, Randy Steinman, Rick Pennington and Warren Stevens.

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