Jr. American Legion Baseball

Heritage 7, at Columbia Gorge 6:

Three unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning June 26 helped the Pack of Vancouver defeat the Drifters, in Jr. Legion South action in Carson.

All told, the Pack's last four runs off Drifters starter Cord Cothren were unearned.

Those four markers, including one in the fourth, extended Heritage's lead to 7-2 through five and a half innings.

But the Drifters pulled within 7-5 in the last of the sixth on run-scoring singles by Seth Davis and Michael Murphy.

Kris Wood's two-out home run on a 3-2 pitch in the last of the seventh accounted for the game's final run and score.

Wood paced the Drifters with two hits in four at-bats and three runs batted in.

Murphy also had a couple of hits--a double and a single in three trips to the plate--and batted in two runs. Danon Kavanagh also went 2 for 3.

Lead-off hitter Jeromie Mason was 1 for 4 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.

Cothren took the loss for the Drifters in another complete-game performance during which he yielded seven hits (all singles) and three walks, and struck out four.

Columbia Gorge 14, at Prairie 11:

Kris Wood homered, drove in five runs and scored three to lead the Drifters to the June 23 Jr. Legion South victory over the Sox, at Brush Prairie.

Wood's three-run blast with two out in the top of the seventh inning--his second hit of the game--broke an 11-11 tie.

In the bottom of the seventh, right-hander Cord Cothren walked the lead-off man, struck out the next batter, then watched as shortstop Danon Kavanagh snared a line drive and threw to first baseman Mike Eisesland to complete a game-ending double play.

The Drifters, who connected for 14 hits, trailed 6-2 after four innings, but went on the offensive in the top of the fifth.

They pushed seven runs across in their half of the fifth on run-scoring base hits by Dean Powell, Cothren, Eiesland and Ty Freemantle, and fielder's choice grounders by Wood and Kavanagh.

But the Sox came back with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to tie the game at 11-all (after the Drifters had gone ahead 11-8 in the top of the sixth on Cothren's RBI double and Eiesland's sacrifice fly).

Cothren and Eiesland each finished with two hits and two runs batted in. Kavanagh and Powell had two hits and one RBI apiece, and Jeromie Mason scored three runs and stole two bases.

At Ft. Vancouver 4, Columbia Gorge 2:

The leaders of the Jr. Legion South Division won their July 6 meeting with the Drifters to improve to 6-1 in division standings. The Drifters dropped to 3-3 against the league. No other details were available.

Coming Up:

The Columbia Gorge Drifters play their final regular-season game this Saturday, July 14, in Carson against the Bay Cedars. The first game of the scheduled double-header at noon will be a Jr. Legion South Division counter.