Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

Ah, home sweet home.

The Wilder Baseball Club defended its home tournament, winning the 11th annual Dick Brown Memorial Firecracker Tournament in dramatic fashion with a 6-5 victory against the Seattle Braves.

Cody Sullivan of Port Angeles picked up the win on the mound and sparked the offense with a two-run home run to left field in the third inning that cut Seattle's lead to 3-2.

Wilder tied the game at 3-3 with a Brien Jaksha RBI ground out later in the third.

After Sullivan gave up a run in the fourth, Sequim's Alex Gillis helped Wilder tie it once again with an RBI single to center field.

Gillis and Sullivan both scored on a ball hit by Justin Williams that scooted through the infield for a 6-4 advantage.

Seattle managed one more score but it wasn't enough.

Wilder, with Sequim players Gillis and Anthony Washington on the roster and a host of top players from Port Angeles, Forks and Quilcene, finished the tourney 5-0, out-scoring opponents 37-10.

Wilder players are aiming for the state tourney in Kent July 22-26. The top team there qualifies for the Kirkland Regional from July 29-Aug. 3.

Wilder has eight state titles since 1982.

Sequim Baseball's summer squad had a tougher time at the Port Angeles tourney. After winning their first game, a 5-4 barnburner against the eventual third-place Kitsap squad, they dropped their final four games.

After dropping a 3-1 heartbreaker to the Redmond Select, Sequim fell 16-14 to the North Kitsap Juniors team in the 9th/10th place game.

Sequim Baseball is back in action at home July 8, taking on Lakeside in a double-header starting at 3 p.m. at the Sequim High School fields, 601 N. Sequim Ave.