Olympic League standings (as of April 21)
Team Lg. Over.
North Kitsap 7-1 9-3
Olympic 4-1 9-3
Port Angeles 4-2 5-5
Sequim 5-3 7-4
North Mason 2-4 4-7
Bremerton 0-5 2-5
Kingston 0-6 2-7
The last time these two teams matched up, Sequim coach Tim Lusk said, his team came out flat — and the Wolves were on the wrong end of a 10-1 rout.
That wasn’t the case Friday afternoon, thanks to a sterling performance from freshman pitcher LeeAnn Raney.
After a first-inning scare, the ninth-grader tossed seven scoreless innings while Sequim batters plated three first inning runs and the defense held on for a 4-0 win over rival Port Angeles on April 19.
“Yeah, it was insane,” Raney said. “My rise ball was working better than it has in a long time and I just felt more confident. Normally, I’m not (as confident) when I’m on varsity because I’m a freshman and I don’t want to let anybody down.”
But Raney made any score stand up, limiting Port Angeles to just three hits and striking out eight.
“I told the girls going into the game we are a more mature team than we were three or four weeks ago and player for player we can stay right with them,” Lusk said.
“That was probably one of the best games we’ve played. They just clicked together (and) were solid. My pitcher was … she did really good.”
Port Angeles put leadoff hitter Hope O’Connor on third base without an out in the first inning, but Raney settled down to strike out en route to a scoreless first.
Bobbi Sparks sparked the first inning scoring after drawing a walk and eventually scoring on a Jayla Julmist single. After Lily Fili was hit by a pitch, Kiana Robideau singled to score Julmist. Fili scored Sequim’s third run on a delayed steal.
“I would have liked more (first inning runs), especially against that team,” Lusk said.
Sequim added another run in the sixth. After leadoff hits by Fili and Robideau and a sacrifice bunt, Raney followed with a sacrifice fly.
Senior Isabelle Dennis said the Wolves were locked in for this rivalry match-up.
“(Our) intensity was up all game,” she said.
Port Angeles’ best chance to score came in the third inning: The Riders loaded the bases when Kiana Watson-Charles singled, O’Connor was hit by a pitch and Zoe Smithson walked.
But Raney struck out Madi Roening and got the better of Aeverie Politika in a marathon at-bat that saw Politika foul off multiple pitches with two strikes before eventually flying out to end the threat.
It was the first time in 92 games that a foe had shut out Port Angeles — dating back to a 1-0 district tournament loss to Fife in May 2015.
“We did some good things,” Port Angeles head coach Randy Steinman said. “I just tip my hat to Sequim. They beat us. We didn’t beat ourselves, they beat us.”
Lusk said Raney let him know she was feeling good before the game.
“When they are warming up I ask my pitchers what’s their bread and butter? And she said her rise ball was working, so we fed around that,” Lusk said. “PA is one of the best hitting teams in the league.”
Two wins, one loss in week
Sequim started the week with a tough 9-8 loss to North Kitsap, but rebounded two days later with a 5-1 win at North Mason.
Scoreless through three innings, Sequim’s Julmist smacked a three-run home run in the top of the fourth. The Wolves tacked on another run later that inning when Robideau then singled, moved up on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Kylynn Stringer.
Dennis pitched five innings and gave up just three hits, and Raney picked up a save in relief.
Sparks led the club with three hits while Dennis and Robideau had two hits apiece.
Lusk credited Robideau and Stringer for solid defense.
Looking ahead
Sequim hosts Kingston on April 26, the Wolves’ final home game of the season.
The Wolves close the regular season with four away games: April 29 at Olympic, May 1 at North Kitsap, May 4 at non-league foe Archbishop Murphy, and May 9 at Bremerton.
With a top-four place in the Olympic League, Sequim would qualify for the West Central District 2A tourney, set for May 17-18 in Lacey.
