SELAH — Port Angeles’ stellar softball season ended a couple of wins shy of a top-four finish at the Class 2A state tournament Saturday at Carlon Park when the Roughriders fell 6-4 to the host Selah Vikings.

“We jumped on them early, but you are absolutely right, we made a few mistakes. A couple of miscues out in the field, we left a couple of pitches up in the zone,” coach Randy Steinman said.

Selah rallied after Port Angeles jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings.

Leadoff hitter Sierra Robinson bunted safely to open the bottom of the first and made it all the way around the bases to score when the throw to first base caromed into deep right field.

Natalie Steinman singled and reached second on an error and Erin Edwards drove Steinman home with an RBI single.

Freshman Olivia Nevaril followed with an RBI double but the Riders were a little hesitant on the basepaths on the play and couldn’t keep the inning going.

Steinman hit a solo home run to center in the third, but Edwards had trouble fielding a base hit to left field and Selah took advantage, tying the game with three runs in the top of the fourth to chase starting pitcher Callie Hall.

A sacrifice fly by Steinman in her final at-bat as a Rider, gave Port Angeles a 4-3 lead, but the Riders couldn’t hold on.

Catcher Kaylie Ice drove a two-run double to left center to score the tying and eventual winning run in the sixth and Ryan Hutchison added a pinch-hit solo home run in the seventh.

Natalie Steinman, Port Angeles’ all-time home run and RBI leader, capped her career with an 11 for 13 performance at state with a home run, two triples, a double and 13 RBIs.

“I’m disappointed that we lost, but I’m not sad about it because I know our season went amazingly well,” she said. “They were beatable, but things were going their way and not ours.”

It was the final game for seniors Steinman, Robinson, Edwards, catcher Brennan Gray and Hall.

A story on their impact on the Port Angeles program will appear in Monday’s Peninsula Daily News.

“I still think we are right there with them [higher-caliber 2A teams],” Randy Steinman said. “Getting into the top four is tough. And every team here is good and its a grueling two days. It can really be physically and mentally taxing and there can be breakdowns and anybody can beat anybody in those games.

“I thought we came out and did some great things and made some great plays.”

Friday’s games

SELAH — Port Angeles’ bats reemerged and pitcher Callie Hall was in fine form as the Roughriders staved off elimination Friday night in a 19-3 victory over East Valley (Spokane) at the Class 2A State Softball Tournament at Carlon Park in Selah.

Earlier Friday, Port Angeles (22-4) opened state with a 13-3 thumping of Sedro-Woolley to reach the quarterfinals, but were stymied by Woodland’s heat-throwing junior pitcher Olivia Grey in a 12-3 defeat.

Grey was unhittable in the early going, striking out the first eight Riders she faced and retiring the first 11 Port Angeles batters in total before Natalie Steinman broke up her bid at a perfect game with a bloop single.

She finished with 18 strikeouts against the Riders and racked up 35 K’s in two state contests Friday.

“We just ran into a buzz-saw,” coach Steinman said. “We went up at that riseball and we just couldn’t touch it. It happens.

Woodland’s play on the mound and at the plate impressed Steinman. The Beavers cranked three home runs and had six other extra base-hits in the game.

“They are really good,” Steinman said. “Every time we’ve come to the state tournament the last six years our first loss has been to the eventual state champion, and I think they have a real good shot to win it all.”

Facing an early loss by way of the 10-run mercy rule, the Riders managed to plate three with two outs to extend the game in the bottom of the sixth.

Natalie Steinman notched a two-run triple to right field to score Hall, who reached base on a leadoff walk, and Sierra Robinson who got on board with an infield single.

Erin Edwards followed with an RBI single to score Steinman.

“Our girls were there at the end and said, ‘We are not getting shut out here,’ and we scored three runs and made it go the full seven innings,” Randy Steinman said. “That showed a lot of pride.”

In the elimination game against East Valley, Port Angeles pounded out 24 hits and allowed just three.

Hall recorded strikeouts against eight of the first nine batters she faced and the three runs she allowed all came via Riders’ errors with the game well in hand and reserves manning some positions.

“Callie pitched really well and we got the bats going good,” Randy Steinman said.

The Riders plated three runs apiece in the first two frames, highlighted by a two-run single by Natalie Steinman and an RBI double by Edwards.

Natalie Steinman was huge for Port Angeles going 5 for 5 at the plate with a triple, a double and 7 RBIs. Aeverie Politika hit a solo home run to center field and was 3 of 4 in the contest with two RBIs.

The Riders reached the 10-run mercy rule in a big way in the top of the fifth, scoring 11 runs on 14 hits, including Steinman’s triple to the right-field corner and Politika’s rope to center field.

“I think we had 12 or so hits in that one inning, so that was good,” Randy Steinman said.

Sophomore Kiana Watson-Charles poked a two-run double in that inning in her first state at-bat and freshman Camille Stensgard added an RBI single.

“We got everyone in, that was great,” Randy Steinman said. “Kids came in off the bench and got some great state experience.”

Port Angeles 13, Sedro-Woolley 3

SELAH — Freshman shortstop Jada Cargo drove in six runs, including a three-run home run to center field during Port Angeles 7-run fourth inning, as the Roughriders roughed up Sedro-Woolley 13-3 in the first round of the Class 2A state softball tournament today [Friday] in Selah.

Port Angeles (21-3) advances to face Woodland today at 4 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

“We came out swinging the bats early and often and Callie [Hall] pitched a wonderful game,” Riders head coach Randy Steinman said.

“She was hitting her spots and the first four innings were phenomenal.”

Hall went four innings on the mound, allowing just one hit through the first four frames before giving up two hits and two walks to open the fifth.

Hope O’Connor, who made a great snag on a well-hit ball down the third-base line and followed by throwing out the runner, came on and did well in relief, making sure the Riders closed out the game in five innings.

Port Angeles staked Hall to a 5-0 lead after batting around the order in the first inning, highlighted by Natalie Steinman’s RBI single to right field, a two-run bloop single up the middle by Olivia Nevaril and a chopper to short by Cargo that was thrown away by the Sedro-Woolley shortstop for a two-run error.

“We practiced in Cle Elum on our way over here and had a really good practice,” Randy Steinman said. “The girls were really hitting the ball, so I was excited to see how they would start.”

Cargo also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the third after Brennan Gray doubled over the third-base bag into left field to open the inning.

An RBI single from Erin Edwards and a two-run single by Aeverie Politika grew the Port Angeles lead to 9-0.

O’Connor followed with a hard hop past the third baseman for another RBI and Cargo blasted a 3-run shot to center to close out the Riders’ big inning.

“Great hitting from up and down the order, another team effort,” Randy Steinman said.

Port Angeles 13, Sedro-Woolley 3

S-W 0 0 0 3 0 — 3 3 4

PA 5 0 1 7 x — 13 13 1

WP: Hall LP: Wagner

Pitching

S-W — Wagner 3.1IP, 11R, 10H, 2K, BB; Coon 0.1IP, 2R, 3H.

PA — Hall 4IP, 3R, 3H, 3BB, K; O’Connor 0.2IP, BB.

Hitting

S-W — Wagner 2-2, 2B, 2RBI

PA — Cargo 1-1, ROE, SAC, HR, 6RBI; Steinman 3-4, 3B, RBI, 2R; Robinson 2-4, 2R; Gray 2-2, 2B, BB; Politika 1-2, 2RBI; Nevaril 3-3, 2RBI.

Woodland 12, Port Angeles 3

Wood. 1 0 4 1 3 3 0 — 12 19 1

PA 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 — 3

WP: Grey LP: O’Connor

Pitching

Woodland — Grey 7IP, 3R, 4H, BB, 18K.

Port Anglees — Hall 2.1IP; 3R, 3H, BB; O’Connor 3.1IP, 6R, 9H, 2K; Holland 3R, 7H.

Hitting

Port Angeles — Steinman 2-3, 3B, 2RBI; Edwards 1-3, RBI.

Woodland — Holcomb 2-5, RBI, 2B; Eddy 3-5, 2 R; 2 RBI, 2 2B; Sweyer 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, 2B; Christensen 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR; Foster 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2B; Risley 3-4, R; Bunger 2-4, R, RBI; 2 2B.

Port Angeles 19, East Valley 3

PA 3 3 0 2 (11) — 19 24 3

EV 0 0 0 3 0 — 3 3 2

WP: Hall LP: Brake

Pitching

PA — Hall 5IP, 3R, 3H, 9K, 2BB.

EV — Brake 5IP, 19 R, 24H, 2K

Hitting

Port Angeles — Steinman 5-5, 2B, 3B, 7RBI; Politika 3-4, HR, 2RBI; Edwards 3-5, 2 2B, 2RBI; Watson-Charles 1-1, 2B, 2RBI; Stensgard 1-1, RBI; Robinson 3-3, ROE, 2B, RBI; Folden 1-1, RBI; Gray 2-4, RBI.

Selah 6, Port Angeles 4

Selah 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 — 6 11 2

PA 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 — 4 9 1

WP: Tipton LP: O’Connor

Pitching

Selah — Tipton 7IP, 4R, 9H, HB, 7K

PA — Hall 3.2IP, 3R, 7H, 2BB, 4K; O’Connor 3.1IP, 3R, 4H, BB

Hitting

Selah — Hutchison 1-1, R, HR, RBI; Ice 1-4, 2B, 2RBI; Hull 3-4, 2B, 2RBI.

PA — Steinman 2-2, SF, HR, 2RBI; Edwards 1-3, 2RBI; Robinson 2-4, 2R, O’Connor 1-3; Nevaril 1-3, 2B.