Sequim Gazette staff

So far, so good.

Sequim’s baseball squad earned wins in each of its three non-league games to kick off the 2015 season, capping their efforts with a 13-0 whitewashing of Chimacum on March 20.

Sequim hurlers Gavin Velarde and Logan Hankinson had little trouble with Cowboys hitters, combining for four strikeouts and giving up just three baserunners in five shutout innings.

Sequim led 5-0 after one inning and added three runs in the third and another five runs in the fourth.

Evan Hurn had a bases-loaded triple in the third while Velarde, Ian Dennis and Jake Sparks each knocked in two runs. Dennis had two of Sequim’s six stolen bases. James Grubb doubled and scored three times.

Wolves shut out Wolves

In a battle of identical mascots, Sequim’s Wolves shut down the visiting Coupeville Wolves 3-0 on March 18, on the strength of five shutout innings from reliever Austin Hilliard and some untimely Coupeville mistakes.

After Sequim starter Nigel Christian tossed one shutout inning highlighted by a diving out at home by SHS catcher Ian Dennis, Hilliard came in to shut down Coupeville with five strikeouts and just two hits and two walks over five innings. Grubb picked up the save, striking out three and walking two in the seventh inning.

Sequim opened the scoring in the second after Velarde reached on an error, moved to second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on another passed ball.

Velarde scored again in the fourth, advancing to third on another Coupeville error and scoring on a double steal.

Sequim made it 3-0 in the fifth when Hurn advanced to second on an outfield error and scored on Dennis’ RBI double.

Grubb and Velarde had two steals each.

Coupeville senior Aaron Trumbull threw a six-inning complete game, giving up just one earned run on five hits and five walks.

Sequim edges Cougars

One big inning and some clutch pitching helped Sequim escape with a 9-8 win at Cascade Christian on March 17.

Daniel Harker had a triple and two RBIS while picking up the win on the mound as Sequim topped the Cougars in the non-league season opener.

Cascade Christian took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, touching up Sequim starter Tanner Rhodefer for both runs, and it stayed that way until Sequim tallied seven runs in the top of the fifth.

Cascade Christian closed the gap to 7-6 with four runs on their half of the fifth, but Sequim got two more runs in the sixth and held on for the victory.

Grubb tossed two-and-a-third innings with four strikeouts and no earned runs allowed, and Harker completed the game with four strikeouts of his own.

At the plate, Sequim’s Velarde was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two steals. Hilliard added two hits, two walks, two RBIS and a steal.

Looking ahead

The Wolves are back in action today, March 25, with a home game against Klahowya and host Bremerton’s Knights on March 27. Sequim follows that with three road games: March 31 at North Kitsap, April 2 at Olympic and April 6 at Port Angeles.

Olympic League standings

(as of March 22)

Team Lg. Over.

Bremerton 0-0 1-1

Kingston 0-0 0-1

North Kitsap     0-0 3-0

North Mason    0-0 1-3

Olympic 0-0 1-3

Port Angeles    0-0 0-1

Sequim 0-0 3-0