Photo: PA Roughrider girls take the district championship
SILVERDALE — The rags-to-riches story of the Port Angeles Roughrider baseball team continued Saturday morning at Central Kitsap High School, as the Riders erupted for six runs in the fifth inning to beat Fife 10-3 and punch their ticket to the 2A State Baseball Tournament.
The district semifinal was played in a downpour, but Roughrider pitcher Cody Williams settled in after giving up two early runs and held Fife in check the rest of the way.
Senior designated hitter Trae Hanan led the offense with three singles, two walks, and two runs scored. Leadoff hitter Nathan Basden walked three times and scored twice. Alex Angevine had a single and scored two runs. Luke Flodstrom added two singles and a run, while Jordan Shumway contributed a single, two walks, and a run scored. Josiah Gooding also singled, walked, and scored.
Roughrider senior Trae Hanan, speaking on the KONP Newsradio postgame show, said he saved his best game for one of the biggest moments of his career—collecting three singles and scoring two runs against Fife.
Port Angeles advanced to face Bainbridge for the district title and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Basden, Angevine, Gooding, and Bryce DeLeon all singled, driving in runs by Gooding, Shumway, Hanan, and DeLeon. But Bainbridge, unbeaten in league and district play, showcased their deep bullpen and powerful bats to rally back and take a 9-4 lead. The game was called in the sixth inning due to weather.
Despite the loss, the Roughriders earned the district’s No. 2 berth to state and were awarded the No. 11 overall seed. They’ll face sixth-seeded Tumwater this Saturday at 2 pm in Selah. The winner advances to play either No. 14 Cedarcrest or No. 3 Selah.
Roughrider Manager Zac Moore, also on the KONP Newsradio postgame show, now has the Riders headed to the state tournament for the third straight year
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In district soccer, Port Angeles’ impressive season came to a close with a 3-1 loss to Franklin Pierce. Matthew Miller scored his 22nd goal of the year—and the final goal of his outstanding career—off a corner kick.
Though disappointed, Head Coach Chris Saari praised his team for its incredible turnaround, improving from 3-13 last season to 12-8 this year and finishing third in the Olympic League. Saari credited goalkeeper Gus Halberg, who posted seven shutouts, as a major factor in the team’s success. It was the final game for seniors Jacob Weaver, Gus Halberg, Leif Moody, Jackson Wyall, and Caleb Lagrange, along with managers Selena Bautista and Abby Cuelar.
The Sequim Wolves also saw their season end in a hard-fought 2-1 loss to a strong Fife squad.
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In girls fastpitch, the dominant Roughriders rolled through the district tournament and claimed the championship in convincing fashion. They beat North Kitsap 8-1—eliminating the Vikings from state contention for the first time in eight years—then shut out Olympic 8-0.
In the North Kitsap game, Heidi Leitz pitched a complete game, and senior shortstop Morgan Politika went 3-for-3 with a home run and two singles. Kennedy Rognlien chipped in two singles, and Lexie Smith added a home run.
Against Olympic, junior pitcher Lynzee Reid started and earned the win, teaming with Leitz to hold Olympic to just three hits. Rognlien stayed hot at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two singles, a double, and three RBIs. Politika added two singles and an RBI double, Abby Kimball had two singles and two RBIs, and Leitz notched two more singles.
Roughrider second baseman Kennedy Rognlien and shortstop Morgan Politika (#13) had the hot bats during the district tournament.
The Roughriders will open state tournament play Friday against Cedarcrest—the same team that defeated them 15-12 in the 2023 state opener.
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In tournament softball, the Port Angeles Illusion 14U team went 5-0 in Olympia this weekend to win their championship.