Sequim’s Espinoza in NWAACC Showcase
PORTLAND – Marquita Espinoza will represent Peninsula College in the 2009 NWAACC Sophomore Showcase softball event at Delta Park Saturday. The Sequim grad batted .320 with nine home runs last year as a freshmen catcher for the Pirates. She will play for the NWAACC North against the East at 2:30 and against the South at 4:30.
Espinoza named to Northern Region All-Star Team
PORT ANGELES – Sequim High School grad Marquita Espinoza was the lone Peninsula Pirate named to the 2009 Northern Region Women’s Fastpitch All-Star Team, as announced last week by the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges. Espinoza smashed Peninsula’s single season home run record this year, belting nine. The previous mark was six, held by Port Angeles’ Kayla Ralston. Espinoza was tied for 11th in the NWAACC in home runs for 2009. The freshman also batted .315, scored 15 runs, drove in 25 RBI and finished with an impressive .726 slugging percentage. The Pirate catcher also played tremendous defense, showing her toughness by catching almost every inning of Peninsula’s 33 games this year. “No one ran on her arm,” head coach Jim Cheney said of his all-star catcher. Espinoza was named to the Northern Region’s Second Team. Former Sequim High teammate Chantal Hughes, of Skagit Valley, was named First Team shortstop and Port Angeles grad Aly Rae of Lower Columbia was Second Team Southern Region pitcher.
http://www.nwaacc.org/documents/All-Star_Teams/2008-09/2009_Softball_All_Stars.pdf
Pirates wrap up rebuilding year on road
MOUNT VERNON - Coach Jim Cheney's first year back as head coach was not one for the record books, but he put a competitive team on the field - and that team had good chemistry and enjoyed a positive experience on the diamond, setting the ground work for the future. The Pirates started their season at the "Happiest Place on Earth" where they played six games against four-year college programs at the Disney Wide World of Sports Tournament in Orlando back in March - and they finished it in not such a happy way, dropping a doubleheader at Skagit Valley Friday, 11-3 and 9-1. Freshman Molly Fletcher batted 3/3 and stole three bases to lead the PC women in the first game and Fletcher and Colleen Murphy-Carey each hit 2/3 in the second one. It was a season that got off to a rough start when the Pirates lost two starters to grades at the start of spring quarter and then were plagued by injuries. They went 5-19 in conference play and 5-28 overall. Look for coach Cheney and his staff, which includes Lance Gardner, Joel Lewis and Elvin Sofie, to hit the recruiting trail to pump up the freshmen-dominated squad to make a run at the NWAACC in 2010.
Olympic takes two from PC in Bremerton
BREMERTON - It was a tale of two games Friday afternoon in Navy land where the host Rangers shut out Peninsula 8-0 in the first game, as Dena Houser's triple proved to be the only hit of the game for Peninsula, while the Pirates turned the tables and almost stole a win in Game 2. Carly Swingle pitched well and helped her own cause by belting the first-ever over-the-fence home run of her career. She went 2/3 with a two-run HR, Marquita Espinoza padded her school-record home run stats with another long ball and three RBI, Laura Campbell went 2/3 and Samantha Flett batted 2/4. The Rangers, however, rallied for a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to win it 8-7. The Pirates will close out their 2009 campaign at Skagit Valley on Friday.
Pirates play conference-leading Bellevue tough
PORT ANGELES - The Pirates showed they can run with the big dogs in a doubleheader against North Conference-leading Bellevue Wednesday in a doubleheader that was moved to accomodate the Hood Canal Bridge closure. The BCC women escaped with a pair of wins, 7-2 and 7-3, but they didn't come easy. In the opener, Brittany Norton did a nice job on the mound for Peninsula, but her mates struggled behind her, committing three errors that helped the Bulldogs to a 5-0 lead. Carly Swingle entered in the third and gave up a two-run HR to the first batter - and then held the 'Dogs scoreless the rest of the way, striking out two and scattering three hits. For the game, Marquita Espinoza went 2/4 with a double and Laura Campbell batted 2/3. In the second game, Bellevue used a two-out PC infield error to load the sacks and Nicole Higgins unloaded them with a grand slam home run that proved to be the difference in the ball game. Peninsula rallied for three in the fifth when, with two outs, Ashley Lowe-Thaens singled, Espinoza singled, Samantha Flett singled to plate Lowe-Thaens and Dena Houser then belted a clutch single to right-center to score Espinoza and Flett. Lowe-Thaens managed to go 2/4, despite being hit on her hands by an inside pitch, and Houser also batted 2/4. The Pirates (5-15, 5-24) travel to Olymic Friday and then close out their season May 8 at Skagit Valley.
Tough day to be a Pirate
PORT ANGELES - The injury-plagued Pirates had another rough day on Tuesday. Not only did they get roughed up by Shoreline 18-1 and 15-1, but they broke three expensive bats. Shoreline opened game one with two home runs in a nine-run first inning and the Peninsula women were never able to recover. Ashley Lowe-Thaens batted 2/2 with a double and Laura Campbell and Kaylee Baumstark accounted for the only other hits for the Pirates. In game two, Peninsula opened with a 1-0 lead when Molly Fletcher got on with a Dolphin error, stole her way to third, and coasted home on a double by Samantha Flett. The rest of the game, however, belonged to the visitors, who crept out to a 5-1 lead and then posted four in the fifth and seven in the seventh to win going away. Dena Houser went 2/3, Tasha Taylor doubled and Lowe-Thaens and Marquita Espinoza also had hits. The Pirates remain home Wednesday against conference-leading Bellevue.
Pirates win two, drop two on weekend road trip
EDMONDS - Marquita Espinoza became Peninsula's single season home run leader and her Pirates took two games from the Edmonds Tritons Friday night, but there was a price to pay. With only 11 on the roster for the trip, the PC women had to forfeit Saturday's doubleheader at Everett when pitcher Carly Swingle had to leave the game with tightness in her arm, Colleen Murphy-Carey re-sprained her ankle and Bethany Holt re-injured her shoulder, leaving them with only eight. In the opener against the Tritons, Swingle scattered four hits in a 13-0 shutout. Marquita Espinoza went 4/4 with three runs, five RBI and a school-record-tying sixth home run. Ashley Lowe-Thaens went 3/4 with three runs, two RBI and a double and Bethany Holt was 2/3. The second game was an extra-inning shootout with the Pirates scoring 12 runs on 19 hits and Edmonds tallying 10 on 16 hits. Peninsula trailed 9-7 in the seventh when Molly Fletcher belted a two-out, two-RBI single to tie it. Then, in the eighth, with the Pirates up 12-10 and Edmonds with runners at first and second, Dena Houser backhanded a shot up the middle, touched second and turned the double play to end the game. Espinoza went 3/3 with 2 runs and 3 RBI, this time with two home runs, her seventh and eighth of the season, to smash the single season HR record with eight games still to play. Fletcher went 3/4 with two RBI, Houser was 4/5 with three runs, three RBI and a double, Samantha Flett was 3/5, Murphy-Carey 3/5 and Brittany Norton 3/5. The Pirates (5-11, 5-20) hosts Shoreline Tuesday and Bellevue Wednesday.
Pirates split with Skagit Valley
PORT ANGELES - Skagit Valley used a big sixth-inning rally to steal a win from the Pirates in the opening game of a Tuesday afternoon twin bill, but the Peninsula women rallied in the second game to defeat the Cardinals to earn a split. In the second game, the Pirates trailed 4-0 in the third, but rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the inning. Bethany Holt walked, Ashley Lowe-Thaens singled, Marquita Espinoza beat out a strikeout/passed ball, Samantha Flett singled, Dena Houser reached on a fielder’s choice, Colleen Murphy-Carey doubled to plate two runs, Tasha Taylor reached on an error, and two runs scored on a hit by Holt, making her second plate appearance of the inning. The PC women then added three more runs in the fourth on three straight hits by Lowe-Thaens, Espinoza and Flett and a two-RBI hit by Swingle. Skagit Valley used a three-run fifth inning to put some pressure on the Pirates, but Swingle, who started the game and was replaced by Brittany Norton in the third, re-entered and shut the door on the Cardinals in the sixth and seventh to secure the 10-7 win for Norton. For the game, Murphy-Carey batted 2/4 with a double, Lowe-Thaens went 2/4 and Flett went 2/4. In the first game, the Pirates led 3-2 after five innings, but the wheels came off in the sixth when Skagit rallied for nine runs on seven hits and four walks to win 11-3. The PC women got one in the first when Molly Fletcher scored on a hit by Flett and two more in the fifth, when they opened with five straight hits, starting with a Murphy-Carey double, Houser single, Tasha Taylor single, Holt single and Fletcher single. For the game, Holt went 2/2 and Fletcher 2/3. The Pirates also got strong defensive play in both games from Holt in left and Flett in right, as well as Lowe-Thaens at third and Espinoza behind the plate. Next up for the PC women is a trip to Edmonds Friday and Everett Saturday.
PC bats chilly against Bellevue pitching
BELLEVUE - The Pirates have some strong hitters on the roster, but they continued to slump against strong Bellevue pitching in a pair of five-inning, 9-0 ball games Saturday. Michelle Ruby tossed a one-hitter in the opener, giving up a bunt single to Samantha Flett in the fourth inning. Carly Swingle went three innings and took the loss. In the second game, the Pirates could muster only two hits off Laren Reid, thos coming from Ashley Lowe-Thaens in the fourth and a double by Tasha Taylor in the fifth. Brittany Norton took the "L" in that one. With nine days off between games, the Pirates will heal some injuries, spend some time in the batting cage and gear up to host Skagit Valley on Tuesday.
Olympic ace too much for Pirates
PORT ANGELES - Olympic's sophomore sensation Erika Quint shut out the Pirates in the first game and then shut them down when they were on the doorstep of a win in the second to hand Peninsula an NWAACC North doubleheader loss on Tuesday. Quint struck out 14 and scattered five hits in the opener, those coming from Bethany Holt, who went 2/3 with a double, Ashley Lowe-Thaens, who also hit 2/3, and Molly Fletcher, who singled, in a 10-0 setback that went all seven innings. Carly Swingle took the loss for the PC women, giving up six runs, before giving way to Brittany Norton in the sixth. The Pirates found more success against OC's Felitia Buss in the second game and rallied to tie the score at 2-2 in the fifth when Marquita Espinoza belted a deep fly ball to center field that Natalie Peapea lost control of falling over the fence for a two-run homer, her fifth of the season. Ranger sohpomore Peapea made up for the bobble in the seventh, however, belting a three-run homer to win it, as Quint pitched the final two innings to shut the door on any more Pirate scoring. Holt again had a hot bat for the Pirates, going 2/3, Tasha Taylor also went 2/3 and Laura Campbell doubled to the fence in right-center in the sixth. The Pirates have been a bit unlucky of late, stranding seven runners on base in the first game and eight in the second. Next up for the 2-6, 2-15 PC women is a trip to Bellevue on Saturday.
Pirates shore up defense against NWAACC powers
MOUNT VERNON - The Pirates played their best ball of the season at the Inter-Region Tournament at Skagit Valley over the weekend where they battled through injuries, playing three games with only nine players. The PC women opened against sixth-ranked Clackamas. Starter Carly Swingle pitched an outstanding game, with errorless defense behind her, as the Cougars held on for a 3-2 win. In the nightcap, Brittany Norton pitched well for four innings, but the Clark women broke out for a 12-4 win, beating up on Norton for three home runs, as well as first baseman Colleen Murphy-Carey, who suffered elbow and ankle injuries, but was able to finish the game. The hobbled Pirates then took the field Sunday morning against second-ranked Mount Hood, where Swingle pitched another gem and her Pirate mates again played errorless defense. The Pirates, with a slow-moving Murphy-Carey gutting it out on first base, and two other players also dinged up, took a 5-4 lead into the seventh and final inning. The Saints, however, down to their final out, used a double to plate two runs and steal the win from the Pirates. Peninsula (2-4, 2-13) return to conference play Tuesday against Olympic.
Shoreline takes wind out of Pirate sails
SHORELINE - The Dolphins had their way with the Pirates on a cold, windy day in Shoreline Tuesday, winning the NWAACC doubleheader 8-0 and 11-3. In the opener, Shoreline's Athea Surface and PC's Carly Swingle were in the midst of a nice pitching duel when Swingle had to leave the game due to tightness in her elbow in the third inning. Surface went on to pitch a five-inning shutout, giving up hits to Molly Fletcher and Ashley Lowe-Thaens, while the Pirates caved for six runs in the fourth to fall due to the 8-run rule. In the second game, the Pirates began to get their bats on Surface's pitching, as Marquita Espinoza continued her home run tear with a long ball to left-center, Fletcher went 2/3 with a double, Bethany "AK" Holt went 1/2, Tasha Taylor 1/3 and Lowe-Thaens executed a nice squeeze bunt in the third, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Dolphins, who beat up Brittany Norton, Lowe-Thaens and the PC defense for 11 runs on 11 hits. Defense continues to be an issue for coach Jim Cheney and his Pirates, who committed three errors in the opener and two more in the nightcap. The PC women (2-4, 2-10) will look to shore that up when they travel to Skagit Valley for an Inter-Region tournament Saturday and Sunday.
Everett bats, PC errors too much to overcome
PORT ANGELES - It's no secret that you can't afford to make mistakes against good teams - and the Pirates got in their own way a bit in Thursday's 16-1 and 9-4 doubleheader loss to the Trojans. The Pirates committed six errors in the opener, turning a 1-1 game after two innings into a route. Molly Fletcher went 2/3 with a double, as did Laura Campbell, but the other Pirate bats were silent against strong Trojan pitching. In the nightcap, it was a 3-1 game going into the sixth when Everett strung together four hits, an error and some good base running to break the game open. The Pirates made some noise in their final at bat when Marquita Espinoza belted a two-run shot over the center field fence, but they could not close the gap. Ashley Lowe-Thaens went 2/4 with a double and Samantha Flett also belted two hits in four trips to the plate. The Pirates (2-2, 2-8) travel to Shoreline on Tuesday.
Pirates rock Edmonds in conference opener
PORT ANGELES - Marquita Espinoza hit two home runs and teammate Ashley Lowe-Thaens belted a grand slam homer powering the Pirates over Edmonds in Tuesday's NWAACC North Division doubleheader. The PC women won the first game 10-1 as Espinoza took the first pitch she received over the left field fence with a towering 3-run shot to set the pace in the first inning. Samantha Flett batted 2/3 with a double and scored twice, Colleen Murphy-Carey went 2/4 and also scored twice and Carly Swingle went 1/1 and also got the win on the mound, throwing a two-hitter, with four strikeouts and only two walks. The Pirates finished off their opponents in five innings due to the 8-run rule, totalling 10 runs on 8 hits and 1 error, while holding the Tritons to 1 run on 2 hits and 2 errors. In the second game, which went six innings, the Pirates found themselves trailing for the first time of the afternoon, 1-0 in the second, when Lowe-Thaens came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs showing on the scoreboard. The Sequim freshman blasted the ball out of the park for a grand slam home run - and her team never again trailed. Espinoza continued her hot bat with a two-run triple in the fourth and a three-run home run in the sixth that ended the game. Laura Campbell went 2/3 and Brittany Norton doubled. Norton also got her first collegiate win, scattering six hits, walking one and hitting one. The Pirates totalled 13 runs on 9 hits and committed 3 errors, while Edmonds had 3 runs on 6 hits and no errors. The Pirates (2-0, 2-6) host Everett on Thursday.
Four-year schools too much for Pirates
ORLANDO - All three of Peninsula's opponents at the Disney Wide World of Sports softball tournament were four-year colleges and so it was no surprise that the Pirates went 0-6 in this year's trip to Florida. However, coach Jim Cheney's squad did capitalize on the sunny weather and good competition to prepare for NWAACC North conference play that is coming up later this month. In Sunday's final doubleheader in Orlando, Lincoln College, out of Illinois, stopped the Pirates 7-4 and 11-5. In the first game, playing without ace pitcher Carly Swingle, the Pirates played tough, outhitting their opponents 9-7 led by Colleen Murphy-Carey's 2/3 effort with a double. Caitlin Curtis went 1/2 and Laura Campbell and Norton also got hits for PC. In the second game, Lincoln began to get to a weary Norton, this time outhitting the Pirates 12-7. Curtis batted 2/2, Kelly Henderson 2/3 and Murphy-Carey and Tasha Taylor also had hits. The Pirates will now go to work prepping for their home conference hopener March 24 against Edmonds.
Pirates run into Illinois buzz saw
ORLANDO - The Pirates ran into a very strong John A. Logan College out of Illinois Friday and, although they improved their defensive effort from Thursday's opener, they were no match for a team that featured a player from the 2008 Olympic Games. The PC women fell 11-3 and 15-0 in the non-conference doubleheader. Carly Swingle took the loss in the opener. Ashley Thaens-Lowe went 2/3 with an RBI, Molly Fletcher was 1/1 with 2 walks and Marquita Espinoza also had a hit for the Pirates. The heat took its toll on the Pirates in the second game, coming both from the Orlando weather and from John A. Logan's pitching staff. Brittany Norton took the loss and Molly Fletcher and Norton belted the team's only two hits.
Pirates drop opener to Park Point Univ.
ORLANDO - The Pirates opened their 2009 season at the Disney Wide World of Sports Softball Tournament in Orlando, Florida Thursday, dropping a pair of games to Park Point University of Pittsburgh, PA. The Pirates, who have had very limited time outside this year, committed 7 errors in the opener, falling 12-6. Carly Swingle pitched four strong innings, giving up just 2 earned runs. Offensively, Ashley Thaens-Lowe led the way with three hits in four trips to the plate, Molly Fletcher went 2/4 with a double, Tasha Taylor and Colleen Murphy-Carey each went 2/4 and Kelly Henderson homered. In the second game, Brittany Norton pitched 4 innings and gave up 1 earned run, but again errors cost the Pirates, this time only 3, in a 6-1 setback. Murphy-Carey went 2/3 with a double and Taylor was 1/1.
Softball team off to Florida for season opener
ORLANDO - The Peninsula Pirates open their 2009 campaign Thursday morning at the Disney Wide World of Sports Fastpitch Softball Tournament in Orlando, Florida against Point Park University out of Pittsburgh, PA. The Pirates held numerous fund raisers in order to play six pre-season games in Florida again this year. They will take on John A. Logan College out of Illinois in a doubleheader on Friday and then close out the weekend with a doubleheader against Lincoln College, also out of Illinois, on Sunday. The Pirates will field a good mix of sophomores and freshmen with most of its 2009 roster made up of players from Port Angeles and Sequim. The pitching staff will be led by Carly Swingle, a hard-throwing freshmen from Sequim. Completing the staff will be Ashley Lowe-Thanes (freshman, Sequim), Brittany Norton (freshman, Port Angeles) and Tasha Taylor (freshman, Port Angeles). Behind the plate will be Marquita Espinoza (freshman, Sequim), at first is Colleen Murphy-Carey (freshman, Port Angeles), second base Laura Campbell (freshman, Port Angeles) and Samantha Flett (sophomore, Wellpinit), shortstop Molly Fletcher (freshman, Sequim), third base Lowe-Thanes, utility Taylor and outfield Kelly Henderson (sophomore, Port Angeles), Bethany Holt (sophomore, Anchorage, AK), Melissa Lisk (sophomore, Port Angeles), and Caitlin Curtis (freshman, Port Angeles). Head coach Jim Cheney will be assisted by Lance Gardner, Joel Lewis and Elvin Sofie. After returning from Florida, the Pirates will prepare for the NWAACC North conference opener on March 24 at home against Edmonds.
Jim Cheney named head coach
PORT ANGELES – Jim Cheney is back at the helm of the Peninsula Pirate softball program. Cheney, of Port Angeles, served as head coach for the Pirates for three years, from 2003-2006, where his teams went from 10 wins his first year to 20 his second year and 18 his third, when the Pirates qualified for the NWAACC Softball Tournament for the first time. “I am very honored to be a part of PC fast pitch for a second run,” coach Cheney said. “I've had the opportunity to meet and talk with most of the returning players, and I am familiar with the local recruits. So I'm excited with the level of talent that will be on the field in 2009.” Cheney left the program in 2006 to spend more time with his family and to see his daughter Julia pitch for the University of Pennsylvania. He takes over the position vacated by Heather Sankey, who resigned after two years as head coach to pursue her Master’s Degree. “We’re very happy to have Jim back,” Director of Athletics Rick Ross said. “Coach Sankey did a nice job for us the last two years and is leaving him with a very solid team from which to build on. With Jim’s experience and his contacts in the local and regional softball community, I know the program will be in good hands.” Coach Cheney has 23 years of coaching experience under his belt, including two state championships, one regional championship and a fourth place finish at the Junior Babe Ruth World Series with a 16-under team in 2001. He is employed full time at Nippon Paper and will serve Peninsula College in a part-time status.
See www.nwaacc.org for scores, standings and softball news.