The Sequim softball team got big games from several players and scored six runs in the sixth and seventh innings to down Bainbridge 12-5 on April 19, earning their first Olympic League in of the season.

Rilynn Whitehead had a big game with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. She also started the game in the circle, going three innings and allowing six hits and four earned runs while striking out three.

Taylee Rome came in to pitch the fourth and did an outstanding job, going four full innings and allowing just two hits and an earned run while striking out five.

At the plate, Rome was 2-for-4 with a double, two stolen bases two runs scored, a walk and an RBI. Mia Kirner had a big game, going 2-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.

Kylie Winter was 2-for-5 with a run scored, two stolen bases and an RBI while Mikki Green was 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Hannah Giddings was 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and a walk.

Eagles earn wind-swept win in Sequim

Battling the elements on a windy day, the Sequim and Klahowya softball teams combined for 30 hits and 35 runs, including 12 runs in the seventh inning alone, in a 19-16 slug-fest April 20 won by the Eagles.

Sequim nearly pulled out an amazing come-for-behind win as Sequim went into the final frame down 19-11. Rome hit a three-run home run and Navaeh Owens followed with a two-run shot to bring the Wolves to within 19-16. Klahowya was finally able to get the final out to end the game, however.

Saturday was a wild back-and-forth affair that saw 11 combined errors. Sequim had a five-run first inning, but Klahowya had a four-run second and a six-run third. Sequim responded with a four-run fifth.

Klahowya built a huge lead with a seven-run top of the seventh. Still, it almost wasn’t enough.

Several Sequim players had huge days. Kirner was 4-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBIs. Rome finished 4-for-5 to bring her season batting average to .621 (with four home runs and 15 RBIs). Owens was 2-for-4 with a double to go along with her home run, two runs scored and two RBIs, while Green was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Rylie Doig was 2-for-4 with a double, Winter was 1-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI and Grace Gardener had a double, a run scored and two RBIs.

Whitehead pitched five innings. She gave up 11 hits but just five earned runs.

Riders take rivalry match-up

A young Sequim softball team stuck close with No. 1-ranked Port Angeles early, but after Wolves’ pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone in the third inning and the opportunistic Riders took advantage and erupted for 10 runs over two innings en route to a 14-2 victory on April 16.

Sequim coach Mike McFarlen said, “This is a super young team [seven sophomores and freshmen]. I told to just hang in there. They will get better.”

McFarlen said Rome, who hit a two-run home run, her third of the season, had a good game, as did catcher Green behind the plate. He said Green made a number of great plays behind the plate and is one of the best catchers in the Olympic League.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / With teammate Taylee Rome looking on, Sequim second baseman Mia Kirner throws out a Klahowya running in a non-league match-up on April 20.

Port Angeles came in to the game ranked No. 1 in the state in Ratings Percentage Index.

Mikkhia Stevens had an RBI double to the fence after nearly taking coach Morgan Worthington’s head off with a hard-hit foul ball. She also made two great running catches in the center field on long drives by Sequim hitters, one of them with two runners on to end an inning.

She said the Roughriders don’t get caught up in the No. 1 ranking.

“We’re just staying the course,” she said. “We’re staying confident without being cocky. We just play ball and have fun.”

Worthington agreed about the girls not getting wrapped up in the RPI ranking.

“It’s just a number,” she said. “It doesn’t get us to where we want to be. We want to play completely through May.”

Worthington said the Riders did a good job adjusting in the batter’s box. After Rome’s home run, Sequim was down just 4-2 in the third inning. Sequim hurler Owens kept the Riders under control for a couple of innings, but when she started having some control issues, the Port Angeles batters were patient and didn’t swing at pitches out of the strike zone, filling up the base paths for sluggers like Robinson, Kennedy Rognlien and Lynzee Reid.

Robinson kept up her torrid hitting, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs. For the season, she is batting an incredible .537 (22-for-41) with 15 extra-base hits, including six home runs. She has 21 RBIs in 12 games, and her slugging is 1.268 and her OPS (on-base plus slugging) is a Ruthian 1.846.

Reid pitched the entire game, allowing four hits and striking out three. She went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and RBI. Rognlien was 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Heidi Leitz walked three times, scored three runs and had three RBIs.

For the Wolves, Rome was 2-for-3, while Green and Winter also had hits. Owens went 2⅓ innings, allowing three hits and seven earned runs. She struck out two. Whitehead pitched 1⅔ innings, allowing two hits and just one earned run.

Looking ahead

Sequim (1-6 in Olympic League, 2-8 overall) was slated to host Bremerton on April 23; results were not available at press time.

The Wolves are at North Kitsap on April 25 and host North Mason on April 30.

Sequim is at Kingston on May 2 before closing the regular season with two home games: against Olympic on May 7 and against Port Angeles on May 10.