SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — The Port Angeles Lefties avoided a sweep against the Springfield Drifters, pounding out 17 hits, including a three-run home run from Jack Edmunds, in a 17-10 victory in Springfield on Sunday evening.
It could have been worse for Springfield as the Lefties had 31 baserunners and left 15 runners on base. The game featured a combined 26 hits, 23 walks, 10 hit batsmen and 61 baserunners. The nine-inning contest took 3 hours and 46 minutes to complete with all the baserunners and numerous pitching changes.
Springfield pitchers were wild with seven walks and seven hit batsmen. Lefties batters are sure to be sore after this series as the Drifters also plunked five batters Saturday.
The Lefties opened with four runs in the first inning.
In that inning, Edmunds (Brown) was one of the batters who got plunked. He got his revenge in the second inning with his three-run shot, his sixth of the year. Normally, six home runs would be among the leaders in the West Coast League, but Josh Schleichardt of the Portland Pickles has a staggering 16 home runs, while Noah Karliner of Ridgefield has 13.
Edmunds finished 3-for-6 with three runs scored. Taylor Kirk (Fordham) was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs, and his Fordham teammate Tommy Markey, was 2-for-6 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
Ty Thomas (Cal State Fullerton) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Garrett Cooper (Lower Columbia) finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Eddie Alfaro (Riverside CC) hit a double and scored three runs. Sam Matosich (Centralia College) hit a double, scored a run and drove in a run.
Lefties’ batters chewed through nine Springfield pitchers.
Meanwhile, Lefties pitchers had trouble with wildness themselves with 14 walks. The game was close at 10-9 after five innings, but the Lefties’ hurlers finally settled down, holding Springfield to just one run in the final four innings.
Brad Johnson (Central Arizona) started, going 3⅓ innings. He didn’t allow a hit, but he walked five and gave up two earned runs. Josh Verkuilen got the victory, though he struggled, allowing four runs in one inning.
Aiden Colin (Santa Ana College) had the best showing. He went 3â…” innings to close out the game, allowing one hit and one earned run. He walked four and struck out two to earn his first save of the season.
Port Angeles (17-28 overall, 6-12 second half), traveled back to Port Angeles to play a rare Monday game against Wenatchee (25-20, 9-9) at Civic Field, with the result after press deadline. The Lefties take on the AppleSox again at 6:35 p.m. today.
Port Angeles 17, Springfield 10
PA 4 3 2 0 1 2 3 1 1 — 17 17 1
Spr. 1 1 0 2 5 0 1 0 0 — 10 9 1
WP: Verkuilen; LP: Lawrence; SV: Colin.
Pitching
PA — Johnson 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 BB, K; Verkuilen IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, K; Stuart IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB; Colin 3.2 IP, H, ER, 4 BB, 2 K.
Hitting
PA — Edmunds 3-6, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI; Kirk 3-5, 3 R, 2 RBI; Markey 2-6, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB; Thomas 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB; Cooper 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI; Matosich 1-4, 2B, R, RBI; Alfaro 1-4, 2B, 3 R; Patterson 1-3, R, RBI, 2 HBP.
