The playoff magic didn’t last long enough.
After dropping a heartbreaker to Klahowya the day before, Sequim didn’t have enough good vibes in the bats to rally past Kingston Saturday afternoon, falling 15-5 to the Buccaneers in five innings.
The Wolves (10-11) unwillingly extended Kingston’s season and helped the first-year school to a berth in the state 2A playoffs.
On Friday night, the Wolves battled Klahowya to a 4-4 tie until, in the bottom of the seventh, an errant Jonathan Thom pitch caught Eagle Brandon Neet in the shoulder with the bases loaded, forcing in the winning run.
Sequim senior Ben Grubb went 1-for-2 with a triple and two runs scored while Reed Omdal had two hits and Max Royall was 1-for-2 with an RBI, but it wasn’t enough.
A day later, needing two wins to get to state, the Wolves ran up against a hot Kingston batting order. The Buccaneers got 13 hits and scored four runs in the first and third innings. The Buc’s Chris Jones and Reuben Smith got back-to-back home runs while Tyler Sullivan went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBIs.
Thom, a Sequim senior, managed a 2-for-2 day at the plate.
Kingston went on to beat Klahowya 12-7 in the district consolation semifinal game.
Wolves eliminate Eatonville
A two-run miscue by Eatonville’s defense and some spectacular relief pitching by Alex Gillis kept the Sequim Wolves’ baseball team alive in the district playoffs May 6.
Gillis pitched three-plus innings of shutout baseball while Sequim overcame a four-run deficit to beat Eatonville 7-6 in Bremerton, ending Eatonville’s season in the first round of the West Central District playoff.
Down 6-5 in the top of the seventh inning, Sequim’s Jason Baker hit a two-out double to put runners on second and third. Preston McFarlen then hit a grounder to the Eatonville shortstop, who made a bad throw to first, allowing both runners to score.
Gillis, who relieved starter Royall in the fourth inning, shut down the Cruisers in the bottom of the seventh to pick up the win.
Sequim’s seniors led the offense: Royall went 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs while Thom had three hits and Grubb chipped in with a triple and two runs scored.
Drew Rickerson went 2-for-4 with an RBI while teammates Baker, Omdal and Spencer Middleton had doubles.
“We hit the ball real well; we had base runners all game,” Sequim coach Dave Ditlefsen said.
Early on, however, it looked as if Sequim’s season would end Tuesday night. Cruiser Tyler Bollen hit a two-run home run in the first inning and a three-run bomb in the fourth, pushing Eatonville’s lead to 6-2. But Sequim had enough offense (13 hits) to come back.
Gillis gave up just two hits and walked none, striking out five Cruisers in the process.
Eatonville’s Anthony Kast took the loss.
Olympic League standings (final)
• 2A division
Team Lg. Over.
Klahowya 11-5 11-8
Kingston 9-7 12-8
Sequim 9-7 9-9
North Mason 6-10 6-12
Port Townsend 0-16 1-19
• 3A division
Team Lg. Over.
Olympic 14-2 16-3
Port Angeles 14-2 16-3
Peninsula 6-10 6-11
Bremerton 3-13 3-16
2A district playoffs
First round: Sequim 7, Eatonville 6; Kingston 10, Steilacoom 0
Semifinals: Klahowya 5, Sequim 4; Fife 10, Kingston 0
Consolation semifinal: Kingston 15, Sequim 5
Championship game: Fife 7, Klahowya 1
Consolation final: Kingston 12, Klahowya 1
