The preseason was good for these hungry Wolves.
Sequim batters drilled Forks pitchers for 12 runs on 18 base hits in a 12-1 win on March 19, the Wolves’ final preseason tune-up before Olympic League play.
"Forks has always been tough," Sequim coach Mel Hendrickson said. "It seems like the last couple of years, they put a run early on us. (Then) we started hitting the ball pretty good."
No kidding. After the Spartans took a 1-0 lead after half an inning, the Wolves (4-1) got four runs in the first, one each in the second and third, two in the fourth and four in the mercy rule-shortened fifth.
At the top of Sequim’s order, Cindy Miller and Lauren Hendrickson had three hits each. Miller scored four runs and had two steals. Lea Hopson added two hits, a double, an RBI and two steals.
Maddy Zbaraschuk did the most damage in the heart of Sequim’s order, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, five RBIs and two runs. Demiree Briones chipped in with three hits, three RBIs and two steals.
Amariah Clift chipped in with two hits, including a double, and Amber Robb added an RBI hit.
On the mound, Briones allowed just one run on four hits – just one of those hits after the first inning – and struck out 11 batters in the victory.
"She gets stronger as the game goes on," Hendrickson said.
The Wolves won a pair of nonleague games earlier in the week, shutting out Chimacum and blasting Mount Rainier with an injury-and-illness-shortened roster (see below).
Sequim was slated to play at Port Angeles on March 19 – results were unavailable at press time. The purple-and-gold hosts Bremerton on March 24 and plays at Port Townsend on March 26, the final games before spring break.
The Wolves return from a week layoff to play at North Kitsap on April 6 and at home against the Olympic Trojans on April 8.
Wolves erupt for 9-spot, rip Rams
For a few innings, Sequim and Mount Rainier pitchers were freezing out opposing batters.
That is until Sequim’s offense started snowballing in the fifth.
The Wolves pushed across nine runs in the top of the fifth inning and another five runs in the sixth to clobber Mount Rainier’s Rams 16-2 in Des Moines on March 16.
Briones won her third game in as many contests, giving up just five hits, a walk and two first inning runs.
At the plate, the second-year player was a perfect 5-for-5 with two triples a double and three RBIs. Zbaraschuk was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Chelsea Winfield added two hits – one of them a triple – and two RBIs.
Sequim and Mount Rainier each plated two in the first inning until the fifth when the Wolves batted around.
"Everybody was smacking the ball," Sequim coach Mel Hendrickson said.
Briones sharp versus Cowboys
Sophomore slump? Not for this Sequim pitcher.
Briones baffled Chimacum hitters to the tune of a three-hit shutout and added three RBIs at the plate as Sequim downed their regional rivals 5-0 on March 15.
Sequim scored two runs in the fourth and another three in the fifth, racking up a total of nine hits.
Zbaraschuk had three hits and drove in two runs while Jazzelyn Bradbury added a pair of hits.
Brittany Nelson took the loss for Chimacum, striking out two and walking three.
Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.
