Gillis helps Wilder take Firecracker title

Ah, home sweet home. The Wilder Baseball Club defended its home tournament, winning the 11th annual Dick Brown Memorial Firecracker Tournament in dramatic fashion with a 6-5 victory against the Seattle Braves.

Ah, home sweet home.

The Wilder Baseball Club defended its home tournament, winning the 11th annual Dick Brown Memorial Firecracker Tournament in dramatic fashion with a 6-5 victory against the Seattle Braves.

Cody Sullivan of Port Angeles picked up the win on the mound and sparked the offense with a two-run home run to left field in the third inning that cut Seattle’s lead to 3-2.

Wilder tied the game at 3-3 with a Brien Jaksha RBI ground out later in the third.

After Sullivan gave up a run in the fourth, Sequim’s Alex Gillis helped Wilder tie it once again with an RBI single to center field.

Gillis and Sullivan both scored on a ball hit by Justin Williams that scooted through the infield for a 6-4 advantage.

Seattle managed one more score but it wasn’t enough.

Wilder, with Sequim players Gillis and Anthony Washington on the roster and a host of top players from Port Angeles, Forks and Quilcene, finished the tourney 5-0, out-scoring opponents 37-10.

Wilder players are aiming for the state tourney in Kent July 22-26. The top team there qualifies for the Kirkland Regional from July 29-Aug. 3.

Wilder has eight state titles since 1982.

Sequim Baseball’s summer squad had a tougher time at the Port Angeles tourney. After winning their first game, a 5-4 barnburner against the eventual third-place Kitsap squad, they dropped their final four games.

After dropping a 3-1 heartbreaker to the Redmond Select, Sequim fell 16-14 to the North Kitsap Juniors team in the 9th/10th place game.

Sequim Baseball is back in action at home July 8, taking on Lakeside in a double-header starting at 3 p.m. at the Sequim High School fields, 601 N. Sequim Ave.