The road looked bumpy even before their ace went down with an injury.

Without pitcher Carly Swingle, the Peninsula Pirates struggled in losing two doubleheaders to two of the stronger teams in the NWAACC North division last week.

The Pirates (3-9 in conference play, 4-13 overall) managed just eight hits and a run in losing two at home to Bellevue on April 23, then gave up 31 runs in getting swept at division-leading Shoreline on April 24.

The Pirate crew was no match for Bellevue starter Ashleigh Carter in the opener, a 15-0 Bellevue win, on Friday afternoon. Carter struck out 11 Peninsula batters and got all the help she needed from Lauren Reid, who cranked out a three-run home run to spark the Bulldog offense.

Marquita Espinoza, Emily Garner, Dena Houser, Colleen Murphy-Carey and Michelle Senf each had hits in the loss but couldn’t overcome the Bellevue attack and six P.C. errors.

In game two, Houser scored the lone Peninsula run in the third inning, but the Pirates were down eight runs by that point anyway as Bellevue ran away with it, 10-1 in five innings. Houser, Garner and Heather Carlson had the only Peninsula hits.

The Pirates’ defense improved by the next day but it didn’t matter much, as Shoreline topped P.C. 16-5 in game one. Espinoza, the Peninsula catcher, had a home run in the loss but Shana Butcher, starting in place of Swingle after the ace went down with a leg injury, took her second loss in as many starts.

Shoreline took game two, 15-2, holding the Pirates to just four hits. Garner, Peninsula’s starter, took the loss.

The Pirates were scheduled to play at Skagit Valley on April 27 – results were not available at press time.

Peninsula hosts Olympic on May 1 and Everett on May 4 before two road dates: May 7 at Edmonds and May 8 at Bellevue.

NWAACC North standings

(as of April 25)

Team Conf. Over.

Shoreline 9-1 14-8

Olympic 7-1 10-9

Everett 6-2 11-15

Bellevue 6-4 18-9

Peninsula 3-9 4-13

Skagit Valley 1-7 1-11

Edmonds 0-8 0-20