BELLINGHAM — The Port Angeles Lefties got their best pitching performance of the year from a sextet of hurlers, shutting out the Bellingham Bells 1-0 Sunday to remain very much in the hunt for the North Division second-half title.
The Lefties also came from behind with three runs in the top of the ninth inning, two of them coming on a costly Bellingham error, to beat the Bells 3-2 on Saturday night.
The Lefties managed to keep the Bells off the scoreboard Sunday despite giving up 10 walks. Jake Cumming (Nevada) started, going four innings and allowing two hits. He struck out four and walked four.
Cade Stuart (Fresno Pacific), who pitched 1⅔ innings, earned the victory. He allowed one hit and one walk.
Matt Capel, a newcomer to the team from Edmonds Community College, earned his second straight high-stress save for the Lefties. He gave up two walks in the ninth inning to put the tying and winning runs on base, but he got the final two outs of the inning to earn his second save in two appearances.
The Lefties only had three hits themselves, by Jeremy Giesegh (Cal State, San Bernardino), Yahir Ramirez (Texas A&M, Corpus Christi) and Brett Haggerty (Yakima Valley College). Kosei Suzuki (Frank Phillips College) drove in the only run of the game in the third inning on a fielder’s choice groundout. Roberto Garza-Nunez (Embry-Riddle), who got on base after being hit by a pitch, scored on Suzuki’s groundout.
The Lefties (7-5 second half, 13-26 overall) won two out of three against the Bells and are one-half game out of first place behind Wenatchee (7-4 second half). Port Angeles returns home today to take on their cross-channel rival, the Victoria HabourCats (4-8 second half, 18-21 overall), at Civic Field at 6:30 p.m. today.
Port Angeles 1, Bellingham 0
PA 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 3 0
Bells 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 4 2
WP: Stuart. LP: Flaugher. SV: Capel.
Pitching
Port Angeles — Cumming 4 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 K; Stuart 1.2 IP, H, BB; Schumann 0.1 IP; Noffsinger IP, 2 BB; Ricken 1.1 IP, H, BB; Capel 0.2 IP, 2 BB.
Bellingham — Flaugher 6 IP, 3 H, BB, K; Young 2 IP, BB; Simonsen IP, K.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Giesegh 1-4; Ramirez 1-4; Haggerty 1-1; Garza-Nunez 0-4, R; Suzuki 0-2, RBI.
Bellingham — Mejia 1-4, 2B.
Saturday’s Game
Port Angeles went into the ninth down 3-0 as both teams had outstanding pitching all game long. When one out, the rally started innocently enough with a walk to Jason Leon (Cal State, Bakersfield). Suzuki following with a single.
On a crucial play, Jared Bujanda (Cal State, Bakersfield) hit a grounder to short for a potential double play, but he just beat the throw to first to keep the inning and game alive.
Sure enough, the Lefties cashed in as Travis Helm (Central Washington) had a two-out RBI single. Ethan Kodama (California, Berkeley) then hit a high chopper past the pitcher’s mound. Bellingham pitcher Nic Peterson managed to snag the ball, but his throw to first sailed wide, allowing both Suzuki and Helm to score.
Bellingham managed to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but Matt Capel (Edmonds Community College) got the final out of the game on a fly ball to right field in his first appearance of the season for the Lefties. He was credited with a save.
Ramirez was 2-for-3 with a double, while Kodama was 2-for-4 with a double. Suzuki finished 2-for-4.
Brock Mayer (Point Loma Nazarene) started the game and pitched well, going 5⅓ innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs. He walked just one batter and struck out two. Francisco Lopez (Dyersburg State CC) was the winner for Port Angeles.
Port Angeles 3, Bellingham 2
PA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 — 3 7 0
Bells 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 — 2 7 1
WP: Lopez. LP: Peterson. SV: Capel.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Ramirez 2-3, 2B; Kodama 2-4, 2B; Helm 1-4, R, RBI; Suzuki 2-4.
Bellingham — Martin 2-3, 2B, 2 R; Kirkpatrick 2-4, 2B, RBI, SB.
Pitching
Port Angeles — Mayer 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 E, B, 2 K; Hagopian 0.2 IP BB, K; McCormack IP, K; Lopez IP, BB; Ricken 0.2, H; Capel 0.1, BB.
Bellingham — Van Dyke 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K; Peterson 4 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB.
Friday’s Game
The Lefties again got solid pitching from their staff Friday night against Bellingham, but only managed six hits in a tight pitchers’ duel, falling 4-2.
Four Lefties pitchers allowed nine hits, four walks and three earned runs. Jackson Price (Transfer portal) started, going five innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out five. He walked four and took the hard-luck loss. Ryan Wike (Univ. of Jamestown), Eric Schumann (Embry-Riddle) and Alec Hagopian (Embry-Riddle) pitched the final three innings, allowing four hits and one earned run.
At the plate, Ramirez hit a triple and scored a run, while Giesegh hit a double and scored a run. Eric Valdivia (Chaffey College) had a hit and two RBIs and Haggerty hit a double.
Bellingham 4, Port Angeles 2
PA 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 2 6 2
Bell. 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 x — 4 9 1
WP: Hernandez. LP: Price. SV: Heppner.
Pitching
Port Angeles — Price 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K; Wike IP, 2 H, ER; Schumann IP, H; Hagopian IP, H.
Bellingham — Van Beck 3 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 2 K; Hernandez 3 IP, H, 2 BB; Lewis 2 IP, H, K; Heppner IP, H, ER, K.
Hitting
Port Angeles — Ramirez 1-4, 3B, R; Giesegh 1-5, 2B, R; Haggerty 1-3 2B; Valdivia 1-4 2 RBI, BB, SB.
Bellingham — Long 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI; Kirkpatrick 2-4, R, RBI; Mejia 2-3.
