By Oly Archibald
SEQUIM — In a classic upset that echoed across the Dungeness Valley all the way to Selah, the Sequim Wolves girls fast pitch team upset the 5th-ranked Port Angeles Roughriders 7-6 in front of a large and energetic crowd at the Wolves Softball Park.
Over the past decade, the star-spangled Roughriders have always the talented big names and athletes recognized as the best in Olympic League softball. Watching the Roughriders step off the team bus in Sequim with their physical size, this team could be mistaken for a college team.
So the setting was set for a 7- inning carnival of color, sound and action. Fast pitch aficionados had a feeling that this game would break the mold.
The Roughriders struck first as senior center fielder Lily Halberg singled in Natalie Robinson to make the score 1-0. The Roughriders scored two more in the 2nd inning when sophomore Heidi Leitz doubled against the fence scoring Halberg and Lexie Smith to make the score 3-0. The Wolves scored two runs in the 3rd inning when Hannah Bates singled and then senior pitcher Laney Vig blasted a line-drive triple that scored Bates. Taylee Rome then hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Vig to make the score 3-2 Roughriders. The Roughriders scored a run in the 5th when Natalie Robinson singled and then scored.
Then came the play of the game. In the bottom of the 5th, with the Roughriders leading 4-3 after Charly Sturm scored, center fielder Mia Pozernick came to the plate with two runners on. The Roughriders went to their bull pen and took starter Cheyenne Zimmer off the pitching mound. What happened next is the Wolves’ legend that will live forever. Mia Pozernick got all ball and drove it over the centerfield fence that sent Wolves Nation into a frenzy. For years, Pozernick had suffered every heart aching loss to the Roughriders. But yesterday Pozernick had set out to rid herself of the memories.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Wolves came up with another big hit as senior first baseman Sammy Bacon doubled a blast down the 3rd base line that scored Angel Wagner to make the score 7-4 after 6 innings.
With the game now at the top of the 7th inning and up by 3 runs, Wolves’ fans did not celebrate. They had seen plenty of past games against the Roughriders that were seemingly won only to have Port Angeles come back and win.
The “Green Machine” quickly got Natalie Robinson and Abby Kimball on with base hits. The Wolves then got two consecutive ground outs and needed only one more out. But Roughrider first baseman Lexie Smith and left fielder Ava Ann Sheahan both singled and the Roughriders were now down by one run at 7-6. The Wolves then got the final ground out and their first win over the Roughriders since 2017.
The play on the field by the two teams was incredible. Leitz, Halberg and Sheahan give the Roughriders one of the fastest and athletic outfields in the game and all 3 produced outlandish clutch catches. Wolves pitcher Laney Vig pitched the game of her life and her defense threw out 2 Roughrider runners at the plate. Taylee Rome made big time stops at 2nd base.
Mia Pozernick and Taylee Rome talk about the win over 5th ranked Port Angeles on the KONP post game show
Sequim Skipper Mike McFarlen talks about how well his Wolves played against the Roughriders
The Roughriders will host Bremerton tomorrow and the Wolves will travel to Bainbridge. The Roughriders are now 4-1 in league play and 9-1 overall while the Wolves are 5-2 in league play and 5-3 overall.
The Roughriders make-up game with Olympic will now be made up on May 1st.
—
In another upset in soccer Sequim knocked off the Roughriders 1-0.
—
In baseball action the Roughriders won a double header over North Mason 10-0 and 11-3. The 12th ranked Roughriders are now 11-3-1 and play at Kingston tomorrow with the first pitch at 4:15 pm.