Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

Even with their ace on the shelf, the Eagles proved to be a tough out.

Klahowya got seven runs in the first two innings and held on for a 7-5 Olympic League win Friday afternoon, dropping Sequim to 1-2 in league player and 2-2 overall.

Ben Grubb, Clancy Catelli and Max Royall each had two hits but Sequim’s late-inning rallies fell just short.

The Eagles, who are missing top pitcher Rusty Devitt to a lingering arm injury, got a strong start from Jordan Green and enough offense early to top the host Wolves.

Jeremie Oliver took the loss on the mound for Sequim.

Royall had a triple and drove in a run while Catelli was 2-for-2 and Grubb was 2-for-3.

The Wolves are back in action March 26 at Port Angeles and March 28 at Kingston before hosting the Bulldogs of North Mason March 31.



Olympic bats

overwhelm Sequim

The “ping” of the ball rebounding off the fence might have been a wake-up call, but the Wolves didn’t get it.

Trojan Chris Campbell came within an inch of a grand slam as his three-run triple cleared the bases and erased a 1-0 Sequim lead, foreshadowing Olympic’s 9-3 league win in Sequim March 19. Campbell’s hit ricocheted off the top of the right field chain-link fence.

Trojan starter Jordan Halstead went six innings and gave up three runs in the Olympic League victory, putting the Trojans (2-0) atop the 3A division.

Sequim got two hits apiece from Grubb, Royall and Matt Holland, plus a triple from Isaac Yamamoto and a double from Jonathan Thom — but it wasn’t nearly enough. Olympic got to starter Matt Bereiter and relievers Thom and Spencer Middleton for 13 hits, three from Trojan Blake Johnson.

On defense, the Wolves and Trojans were sloppy, with each team committing four errors.

In junior varsity action, Drew Rickerson blasted a two-run home run — his second of the season, in a 16-2 win against Olympic’s JV team.



Wolves win wild one,

topple Peninsula in 8

Improbable, unlikely and all around ugly. But a win is a win.

Down 10-4 in the bottom of the sixth, Sequim put together a six-run inning on four walks, two hit batters, a sacrifice fly, an error and zero hits, eventually leading to an 11-10 victory against Peninsula March 17.

Royall’s groundout tied the game in the sixth with an RBI groundout and left the rest to Alex Gillis. The part-time outfielder came on in relief in the seventh and got out of a jam in the top of that inning, then got aboard with a one-out walk. He advanced to second on an errant pick-off throw and scored on Holland’s RBI single.

“The team showed great composure when they were trailing,” Sequim coach Dave Ditlefsen said. “I am very proud of how they battled back.”

The Wolves trailed 5-2 after two innings after the Seahawks got to starter Oliver for five runs and touched up reliever Grubb for another five runs, four of them unearned thanks to five Sequim errors. But Royall and Gillis held Peninsula in check for the final three innings, giving the Sequim offense a chance to come back.



Olympic League standings

(as of March 23)

• 2A division

Team Lg. Over.

North Mason 1-0 1-1

Kingston 1-1 1-2

Klahowya 1-1 1-3

Sequim 1-2 2-2

Port Townsend 0-2 1-3

• 3A division

Team Lg. Over.

Olympic 3-0 5-0

Bremerton 2-1 2-3

Port Angeles 2-1 2-2

Peninsula 0-3 0-4