UNDATED — It was a dramatic and successful weekend for several Port Angeles-area athletes across multiple sports, with intense action on the track, the diamond, and the water.
Pyper Alton Battles Chaos at Summer Showdown
Port Angeles Legends car driver Pyper Alton tackled one of the Northwest’s wildest events this weekend — the Summer Showdown at Evergreen Speedway, where speeds topped 130 mph and crashes left cars flipping and burning.
Alton’s weekend mirrored the unpredictability of the track. “Racing is like a box of chocolates,” she said, echoing the famous Forrest Gump line. “You never know what you’re going to get.”
She started strong on Friday, qualifying 14th out of 27 cars. In her 8-lap heat race, Alton surged from 5th to 3rd before a late spin in Turn 2 dashed her shot at a top-two finish.
Saturday brought renewed momentum as she qualified 6th out of 24. A clean run in the heat put her 3rd and earned a third-row start in the 20-car, 30-lap main event. Alton was eyeing a top-10 finish before a broken bolt ended her night with 10 laps to go, finishing 15th.
Pyper Alton, with her #42 Legends car, gets mentally prepared for her main event at Evergreen Speedway
She and her team now look ahead to Wenatchee Valley Speedway on August 9 for the next stop in the Legends tour.
Wilder Senior Baseball Punches Ticket to Babe Ruth World Series
In Kelso, the Wilder Senior Baseball Club continued its dominant summer by capturing the Pacific Northwest Babe Ruth 18U championship, going a perfect 6-0 and clinching a spot in the Babe Ruth World Series in Florida.
Wilder edged the Mavericks 5-3 in the semifinals before beating Prosser 4-2 in the championship game. Despite only logging three hits in the title match, Wilder capitalized on five Prosser errors.
Ethan Staples tossed six solid innings, giving up just one earned run on three hits and striking out six. Alex Angevine earned his second save of the day with a clean seventh. At the plate, Angevine also stole two bases and scored twice, while Braydan White chipped in with a sac fly RBI.
Earlier Saturday, Brayden Martin and Angevine combined for a six-hitter against the Mavericks. Offensively, Wilder exploded in the second inning behind extra-base hits from Landen Olson (triple), Colton Romero (double), and Josiah Gooding (double and a stolen base).
Across the six games, Wilder outscored opponents 48-12, allowing just 23 hits and tossing a no-hitter courtesy of Staples in a 13-0 win over the Roosters.
Olympic Peninsula Rowers Shine in Olympia
Members of the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association (OPRA) had a strong showing Saturday at the Budd Inlet Regatta in Olympia.
On the 4.9-mile short course, the team of Alex Francis, Page Phillips, Quinn Peterson, Haverly Peterson, and Noah Oberly took second overall and first in their division with a time of 50:59.3. The crew of Owen Standerwick, Kai Erskine, Eagle Zuniga, and Danielle Woodhouse placed third overall and also won their division in 55:13.3.
In the long-course 8-miler, Frank and Carolyn DeSalvo of the Sequim Bay Yacht Club placed fourth overall and third in their division. James Lesniak and Steve Hawley of OPRA were eighth overall and first in their division.
Danielle Woodhouse, Eagle Zuniga, Kai Erskine, and Owen Standerwick lead all boats off the starting line at the Budd Inlet Regatta in Olympia last weekend.
Next weekend, OPRA stays active by participating in the Port Angeles Day of Play at Hollywood Beach on Saturday, followed by hosting the 3rd Annual Port Angeles Coastal Regatta on Sunday. The public is invited to try rowing and learn about OPRA’s programs for youth and adults.