A grueling schedule had the Hattenhauer Distributing Columbia Gorge Hustlers American Legion triple A baseball team playing nine games in 11 days. Game results left the Hustlers with a 10-13-1 overall record, two weeks away from the state playoffs.
The Hustlers (3-5 AL Area 2 league) can advance to state — held this year in Eugene — with a strong finish, starting Thursday with a road game in Scio followed by a 5 p.m. home contest Friday against the visiting Salem Withnell Dodgers at Quinton Street Ballpark.
The Hustlers faced the Hood River Valley High Eagles in a Gorge rivalry nonleague matchup Tuesday at home (result was after the printed edition deadline).
“We have some league games left and we still have a chance to finish near the top of the league and advance to the state playoffs. There are no excuses because this is the same team (37-4 record) that we had last summer that almost won the state championship,” Coach Chad Smith said.
The Hustlers started their busy stretch of games at the Pepsi Pak Tournament June 29-July 2 in Selah, Wash. The Hustlers won two out of five games, including a 5-3 win over the Northwest Diamonds June 30. The Hustlers then followed with a July 1 doubleheader against the Yakima Beetles. The Hustlers lost the first game 8-6, then bounced back to get a 19-3 Game 2 victory.
The Hustlers followed with a July 3 home game versus the Sherwood Lobos and they won 18-8. The Hustlers outhit the Lobos, 18-13, and they were led on offense by Hunter Hough (2-for-5, double, five RBI), Braden Schwartz (4-for-5, two doubles, four RBI), Nathan Hedges (4-fo-5, double, triple, three RBI), Gabe Petroff (1-for-2, two RBI), and Diego Gonzalez (1-for-3, two RBI).
In their next game at home on July 5, the Hustlers lost 11-9 to the Post 58 Crushers (14-16) of Stayton. The Hustlers fell behind 9-1 before Wyatt Stelma’s double led a five-run rally in the bottom of the fourth.
“We usually have the ability to always make a good comeback and we sure made it closer at the end,” said Stelma, a Columbia High School junior. “We were missing some of our key players for this game. We were trying to get other guys who don’t normally start, like myself, some more playing time, because this was a nonleague game.
The Hustlers’ comeback continued in the sixth inning when Manatu Crichton-Tunai’s two-RBI single made the score 11-9.
“We started a good comeback, but it would’ve been nice if we would’ve finished it, because we shouldn’t have lost,” said Smith. “We have to stop watching pitchers throw strikes. We have to get in there and be more aggressive at the plate and know what the situation is on the field.”
The Hustlers were led on offense by Schwartz (1-for-1, walk, two RBI), Josh Boe (2-for-4, RBI), and Nolan Donivan (1-for-2, three runs scored).
The Hustlers then traveled to Hillsboro for a tournament July 6-8 at Glencoe High School where they won one of four games, the victory a 5-2 win on July 6 over the Generals Premier. The quartet of pitchers Carson Smith, Donivan, Schwartz, and Riley Brock combined to toss a five-hitter with nine strikeouts and two walks. Brock had two of the team’s five hits.
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