Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

"I've never seen any team hit that well."

Peninsula coach Jim Cheney was still a little sick to the stomach after seeing Everett's Trojans pound out 25 runs on 28 hits in an NWAACC North doubleheader on March 26.

Just two days after doing some clobbering themselves against division doormat Edmonds, the Pirates (2-2 in conference, 2-8 overall) fell 16-1 and 9-4 to Everett, a perennial NWAACC tourney competitor.

In the opener, Pirate errors kept alive a key four-run third inning when the Trojans broke open a 1-1 tie. Everett added three runs in the fourth inning and an eight-spot in the seventh inning.

The Pirates managed five hits, two each from Laura Campbell and Molly Fletcher.

Carly Swingle took the loss on the mound after pitching four innings, getting dinged by several of Peninsula's five errors.

"Every time we make mistakes, (the Trojans) keep the door open," Cheney said. "We just need to get in the dirt a little more. We're cutting down on the mental errors but the physical errors (are hurting us)."

Joleen Monfiletto tossed seven strong innings for the Trojans. Everett's Emily McCoy was 3-for-5 with a home run and a double.

In game two, Everett had a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth when a key error led to Trojan Liz Jusko's grand slam.

The Pirates did manage to collect eight hits. Marquita Espinoza cracked a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh while Ashley Lowe-Thaens and Samantha Flett each had two hits.

"We didn't quit - that's a character builder there," Cheney said.

The Pirates were scheduled to play at Shoreline March 31 - results were unavailable at press time. Peninsula takes on Clackamas and Chemeketa April 4, and Mount Hood and Clark April 5, all four games at the Northern Intra-League tournament.

The Pirates host Olympic April 7.



Bombs away

against Edmonds

Peninsula's season started off with a bang - three of them, actually - as they crushed Edmonds in a doubleheader March 24.

Espinoza, a Sequim High grad, hit a home run in each game and Lowe-Thaens launched a grand slam in game two as P.C. swept the visiting Tritons 10-1 and 13-3.

In the first game, Espinoza hit the first pitch she saw over the fence for a three-run blast. Flett and Colleen Murphy-Carey added two hits and two runs scored each as the Pirates forced the eight-run mercy rule after five innings.

The offense was more than enough for pitcher Swingle, who tossed a two-hitter and struck out four, issuing just two walks in her P.C. debut.

In game two, Peninsula again roared to a big win behind the long ball. Down 1-0 in the second inning, the Pirates loaded the bases for Lowe-Thaens who cleared them with her first Pirate home run. Espinoza had a two-run triple and capped the hitting barrage with a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to force another mercy rule-shortened victory.

Campbell had two hits and Brittany Norton doubled.

Norton earned the win on the mound, striking out two, walking one, hitting one batter and allowing six hits in her six innings of work.

Laura Nishimura paced Edmonds with two hits in four at-bats while Callie Backstrom had a triple.



Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.