PORT ANGELES — A little rust, and being shorthanded, didn’t help Wilder Baseball in elite competition this past weekend.
Wilder was given an unscheduled weekend off two weeks ago when four games were called off by a team that was shorthanded at the time.
Wilder, missing some players itself this past weekend because of graduation and other activities, lost its first three games by a total of four runs before breaking out with 12 runs and 13 hits in the final contest.
“It was a tough weekend,” Wilder manager Rob Merritt said.
Wilder, 5-7 on the year, dropped a doubleheader to Gig Harbor’s Washington Nationals on the road Saturday.
“The Nationals are a good club,” Merritt said.
The Nationals claimed the first game 4-2 and the second contest 4-3 in eight innings.
Wilder took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the first game but the Nationals scored three times in the third to get all the runs they needed.
Marcus Konopaski and Brady Konopaski had two hits each with Marcus going 2 for 3 with an RBI and Brady hitting 2 fo 2 with a walk.
Wesley Giddings and Clark Rose scattered seven hits in the game with starter Giddings (1-2) striking out two and walking two in five innings, and Rose fanning two in two innings.
It took eight innings in the second game but the Nationals came up with a run in the bottom of the eighth to secure the win.
Cole Uvila threw the first six innings, striking out six while walking one and hitting one batter.
Sequim’s Jake Hudson (0-2) pitched the final two innings.
Marcus Konopaski and Uvila led at the plate with Marcus going 2 for 3 and scoring a run, and Uvila hitting 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.
Port Townsend’s Kyle Kelly also hit 2 for 4.
Wilder lost another one-run heartbreaker, this time 5-4 to the Hoquiam Hawks in the first game of a doubleheader at Civic Field in Port Angeles on Sunday.
Kelly (2-1) struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings and walked one while Hudson gave up just two hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Kelly led at the plate by going 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs, while Tyler Campbell of Sequim smacked a solo home run in the seventh inning.
Wilder scored eight runs in the sixth inning to break open the nightcap game after trailing 5-4.
The Port Angeles-based team held off the Hawks 12-8 in that game.
Chase Jangula of Port Angeles started on the mound and went four innings while Rose (1-0, two saves) threw the final two innings, striking out two.
Hudson fanned one while pitching the final inning.
Kelly had another strong game at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a home run, scoring two runs and knocking two runs in.
Brady Konopaski was 2 for 4, scoring two runs with an RBI, and Uvila went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Campbell went 2 for 4, scoring two runs.
This coming weekend Wilder will play the Aberdeen Merchants in a doubleheader Sunday at Civic Field starting at noon.
Aberdeen had a doubleheader scheduled Saturday, too, but canceled those games because of graduation ceremonies.