LEFTIES: Port Angeles erupts in 12-1 win

LONGVIEW — The Port Angeles Lefties bounced back from a crushing extra-inning loss the night before to bury the Cowlitz Black Bears 12-1 Sunday behind outstanding pitching from Zach Ediger and a monster game from catcher Nathan Chong.

The victory salvaged the final game of the Cowlitz series. The Lefties are 2-4 on their road trip.

The Lefties lost 3-2 Saturday night against Cowlitz.

Unlike Saturday’s game, the Lefties got some timely hitting with runners on base, scoring 12 runs on 11 hits. Eight players had hits and three players scored at least three runs.

Chong went 4-for-4 with his first home run of the season, a double, three runs scored and five RBIs. Garrett Lake belted a home run, scored three runs, drove in three and walked twice. It was his sixth home run of the season, tied for second in the West Coast League.

Coleman Schmidt, who has had a great road trip with two home runs this weekend, continued with his hot bat with an RBI single and a sac fly to give him 19 RBIs, tops for the Lefties. Trevor Tishenkel scored three runs and had a hit and a walk, and Bryce Matthews had a hit, an RBI and a walk.

On the mound, starter Zach Ediger had a stellar game, pitching six shutout innings. He allowed three hits and two walks while striking out six, lowering his ERA to 2.46 and improving his record to 2-1. Luke Saunders pitched two innings of relief, allowing a run on three hits, and Damon Gaither, pitching in his second game for the Lefties, allowed a hit and no runs in the ninth.

The win vaulted the Lefties into third place in the WCL North Division.

Port Angeles 12, Cowlitz 1

PA 0 0 3 0 2 2 0 2 3 — 12 11 1

Cowlitz 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 1 7 1

WP: Ediger. LP: Martinez.

Pitching

PA — Ediger 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; Saunders 2 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K; Gaither IP H.

Cowlitz — Martinez 5 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K; Takalo 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB; Murase IP, H, 2 ER, BB, K; Takalo IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K.

Hitting

PA — Chong 4-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, 5 RBI, SB; Lake 1-3, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB; Tishenkel 1-3, 2B, 3 R, BB; Schmidt 1-4, 2 RBI; Espinoza 1-4, RBI, BB; Oakley 1-4, 2 R, BB, SB; Matthews 1-4, RBI, BB; Flodstrom 0-0, R, BB.

Cowlitz — Ogata 2-3, 2B; Schwarz 2-4; Sheppard 0-4, RBI.

Saturday night’s game

Cowlitz 3, Port Angeles 2, 10 innings

LONGVIEW — The Lefties had a frustrating loss Saturday night, stranding 15 runners and falling 3-2 to the Black Bears in 10 innings.

The Lefties had 11 hits, five walks and two hit batsmen but could only manage a run in the first inning and another run in the sixth as Cowlitz kept pitching out of jams. Port Angeles left the bases loaded in the fourth and stranded two baserunners in the third, fifth, seventh and ninth innings.

In the 10th, the Lefties had a chance to blow the game open, loading the bases again, but they were not able to push any runs across.

Closer Zach Thomas got the first two outs in the 10th inning, but then gave up a walk and two singles as the Black Bears rallied to pull the game out.

Lefties pitchers kept the Black Bears down for most of the game. Steven Brooks started, going six innings, allowing six hits and six walks but only two earned runs. He struck out two. Riley Wike went 2⅓, allowing just one hit. He struck out one.

Thomas pitched 1⅓ innings, allowing three hits, an earned run and a walk. He struck out one.

Schmidt went 4-for-5 with a double and run scored. Matthews was 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the first inning.

Tishenkel was 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored. Jack Holman had a hit, an RBI and a walk.

The Lefties (12-27, 5-10 second half) take today off, then continue with their road trip Tuesday at Wenatchee (14-25, 4-11 second half). That game starts at 6:35 p.m.

Cowlitz 3, Port Angeles 2, 10 innings

PA 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 — 2 11 0

Cowlitz 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 — 3 10 1

WP: Hatakenaka. LP: Z. Thomas.

Pitching

PA — Brooks 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 2 K; Wike 2.1 IP, H, K; Z. Thomas 1.1 3 H, ER, BB, K.

Cowlitz — 4 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K; Benz 2 IP, 3 H, ER; Murase 0.1 IP, 2 H; Dent 0.2 IP, K; Wright IP, 2 K.

Hitting

PA — Schmidt 4-5, 2B, R; Matthews 2-5, 2B, RBI; Tishenkel 2-5, R, SB; Holman 1-2, RBI, BB; Chong 1-4, BB.

Cowlitz — Brown 2-4, HR, R, RBI, BB; Mortensen 1-3, 2B, R, 2 BB; Sheppard 2-5, RBI; Scharz 2-3, BB.