A late-inning comeback fell short as the Wolves put up a fight against a highly-ranked Port Angeles team, falling 5-2 on the road on April 9 — the first of two close losses to their rivals.

The Riders, behind two RBIs apiece from Colton Romero and Jordan Shumway, jumped out to a 5-0 lead after five innings and held on for the win.

Despite giving up five walks, PA starter Brian Guttormsen allowed one run on one hit and struck out six, and relievers Brayden Martin and Alex Angevine closed out the game.

Sequim shortstop Devyn Dearinger throws out a Port Angeles batter in the fifth inning of the Wolves’ 7-4 loss to PA on April 12.

Down 5-0, the Wolves broke though in the sixth as Guttormsen gave up walks to Lincoln Bear and Ayden Holland. Brayden White hit a single to load the bases and Brayden Martin came in to pitch for the Riders as Guttormsen was at 81 pitches.

Staples drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-1, but with the bases loaded and one out, Martin struck out Hunter Tennell and Devyn Dearinger to get out of the jam.

In the seventh, the Wolves put pressure on the Riders’ pitchers again. Bryant Laboy was hit by a pitch — there were eight hit batsmen in the game — and Angevine came in to close the game out for Port Angeles. He hit Zeke Schmadeke with a pitch and Bear fisted a flare single to shallow right field for a hit and an RBI. Holland was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, again with one out.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim shortstop Devyn Dearinger keeps an eye on Port Angeles baserunner Josiah Gooding in the Wolves’ 7-4 Olympic League loss on April 12.

Angevine was able to end the threat by getting White to pop up and striking out Staples.

Sequim finished with nine runners left on base.

“We left the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh, you can’t do that,” said Sequim coach Dave Ditlefsen. “Give credit to their pitcher, he kept us off balance. Our defense played well. Ethan hitting five guys was out of character.”

SHS’s Bear was 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. White added a hit and Staples drove in a run.

Staples got the start for the Wolves and went five innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks; he struck out six. White tossed a scoreless, hitless inning of relief.

Ditlefsen likes how the Wolves have been playing. One or two big hits, they would have knocked off the Riders.

“This is a hard-working group of kids,” Ditlefsen said. “We’re still really young. We have only one senior.”

Riders win in Sequim

Two days later in Sequim, Port Angeles team got big games from Angevine and Nate Basden and was able to beat Sequim for the second time in a week in another hard-fought game, 7-4.

Basden went 3-for-3 with a double, four runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base while Angevine was 4-for-5 with a triple, two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base.

Sequim Gazette photos by Michael Dashiell Sequim’s Bryant Laboy dives back to first base as Port Angeles first baseman Rylan Politika awaits a throw in SHS’s 7-4 home loss to the Roughriders on April 12. Laboy was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI in the contest.

On the mound, the Roughriders used a total of five pitchers, saving their best pitchers Romero and Guttormsen. The quintet of Brayden Martin, Hunter Stratford, Maeson Grice, Angevine and Rylan Politika struck out nine and allowed six hits.

For Sequim, Schmadeke pitched most of the game, going 4⅓ innings and allowing six hits and three earned runs. He struck out five. White went 2⅔ innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking our four.

At the plate, Bryant Laboy had a double, an RBI and a stolen base for the Wolves as he went 2-for-4 at the plate. White hit a triple, scored a run and drove one in while also walking. Staples had a hit, a run scored and an RBI. Schmadeke walked five consecutive times, scoring one run and stealing a base.

Romero also had a hit, an RBI sac fly and a walk, driving in a total of three runs for the Riders. Shumway was 2-for-4 with a stolen base for Port Angeles.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Hunter Tennell throws out a Port Angeles batter in the fifth inning of the Wolves’ 7-4 loss to PA on April 12. Tennell was 1-for-3, reached base three times and had an RBI in the defeat.

Much like a game Tuesday night in which Port Angeles won 5-2, Sequim did have its chances. The Wolves loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning down 7-3 with only one out but managed to only push one run across as Hunter Stratford came in to get White to fly out to end the game.

Wolves fall on road

Sequim played a non-league game on April 13, falling to Ingraham 6-2 in a game that saw the Wolves leave 10 men on base.

Dearinger has a big game for SHS, ripping a pair of doubles at the plate and going five strong innings in his first start of the year, giving up four runs (just one earned) on four hits with two strikeouts over five innings.

Schmadeke drew two more walks to increase his team lead to 12, drove in a run and stole his team-best eighth base.

Bear and White had two hits apiece, but a host of Ingraham pitchers held Sequim scoreless until the top of the sixth.

Looking ahead

Sequim (1-6 in Olympic League play, 4-7 overall) was scheduled to host Crosspoint Academy on April 15 and play at Bremerton on April 16; results were not available at press time.

The Wolves host Bremerton on April 18 and play at North Mason on April 22 before hosting North Mason’s Bulldogs on April 23.

Sequim plays an away-and-home with Olympic (at Olympic on April 26 and home versus the Trojans on April 29) prior to the West Central Bi-District tournament, scheduled for May 7-11.