Hood River’s Intermountain Conference opening doubleheader was a far cry from the Eagles’ best performance of the season, but a league road sweep is reason enough to celebrate.
HRV slowed down a good Ridgeview High team in Redmond on Friday, taking two from the Ravens, 6-3 and 10-6. Ridgeview (7-4) was riding a seven-game win streak since opening the season with back-to-back losses. Ridgeview’s fast start was conjuring up ideas of the school’s 2014, 20-plus win season, when the Ravens made it to the state semifinals (as a 4A school).
All that was lost on Hood River (also 7-4 this winter-like spring), as the Eagles patiently dismantled the home team, despite nine errors in the two-game set. “This was a really sloppy game on both sides,” HRV Coach Max Reitz understated, speaking specifically about the second game when the Eagles had six of their errors.
That said, HRV overcame a 6-3 deficit with a seven-run sixth inning to pull away. “We got out of our good offensive approach from the first game and got behind late,” Reitz said. “We showed a lot of fight to hang in there and rally big late.”
Hunter Hough earned the pitching win, striking out five of the seven batters he faced over the final two and a third innings. “Hunter Hough was dominant coming in to close the door,” Reitz said. “Joe (Reitz) had a big day all around and really anchored us throughout the day.”
The HRV catcher was 3-for-4 from the No. 2 spot in the batting order, knocking in two runs, scoring one himself and stealing a base. Starting pitcher Mason Spellecy also had two of HRV’s 11 hits – one of them a double - and knocked in two runs. He threw four innings, struck out seven and gave up one earned run on three hits. Ryles Buckley also knocked in a pair of runs for Hood River.
The Eagles took a 3-2 lead in top of the fifth inning before Ridgeview scored four times in the bottom of the frame. The young Ravens had four hits, two of them by No. 9 hitter Matthew Mathis. Ridgeview has no seniors on its 13-player varsity roster for first-year Coach Shane Nakumura. Freshman Logan Nakamura was pitching a shutout before he ran into trouble in the fifth inning.
In the opener, Hood River also came from behind, but the one-run deficit was quickly erased with back-to-back three-run innings in the third and fourth frames. Jake von Lubken threw a seven-inning complete game, allowing four hits, four walks and striking out two. Two of those hits were from Cal Dickey, who doubled in two runs.
Hood River’s offense was led by Hough, who had a 3-for-4 day at the plate, with two RBI and a run scored. Buckley added a double and also knocked in two runs. Reitz tripled for his one hit in four attempts.
HRV had seven hits, but that stat line doesn’t reflect how the Eagles were swinging the bat. Hood River had one of those non-Willie Keeler games – where they made good contact but didn’t hit the ball “where they ain’t.”
“We hit the ball really well this game but right at them on multiple occasions and they made some great defensive plays,” Coach Reitz said.
Hood River was scheduled to host Ridgeview at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the final contest of the three-game set. The Eagles host Crook County (3-10, 0-2) on Friday in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. The Cowboys lost to Redmond, 7-2 and 11-5, in their IMC opener last week.
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