Friday’s nonleague The Dalles vs. Hood River Valley rivalry baseball game had the usual Gorge April offerings for the bundled-up crowd braving the elements at HRV’s Traner Field. Drizzle, rain, brief sunshine, more clouds, followed by an extra inning, all figured in host HRV’s 5-4, come-from-behind win.
There also were an abundance of walks, errors and runners left on base, but that didn’t negate the atmosphere often present when these two long-time rivals tangle on the baseball diamond. “That was as good of a high school baseball game that you would ever want to watch,” HRV Coach Max Reitz said.
The game meant nothing in either team’s league standing, rather it served as a send-off for each as they go separate ways the remainder of the spring – The Dalles (5-3) into its 15-game Class 4A Tri-Valley League schedule and HRV (also 5-3) into a 17-game Class 5A Northwest Oregon Conference slate.
Hood River will have some momentum after the eighth-inning win, gifted somewhat on successive The Dalles errors – some arguably because of the wet conditions. Grady Williams, who had reached first base via a walk, stole second – his 10th of the season - and then, two batters later, overran third base on a fielding error. The speedy Williams, who also was picked off first base in the sixth inning, made amends by scoring the winning run after a brief rundown play and dropped throw to the plate.
Reitz saw the play this way: “I saw the ball to the shortstop, and I was pointing for (Williams) to be on the bag. I saw the ball kick away and I kind of didn’t tell him to stop any more. I think he saw that. And then it didn’t kick away as far as we thought it would, and by the time I could get him to stop again, he had rounded too far.
“I think it was just one of those weird baseball plays, honestly. That happens.”
The Dalles, which suffered its third loss in a row, albeit against quality opponents, outhit HRV, 8-5. On the flip side, the Riverhawks hurt themselves with six errors, left nine runners on base, and four pitchers combined for eight walks. Hood River stranded 11 baserunners, including three in the opening inning when the Eagles failed to score.
First-year Coach Pat Clark has an experienced team. The Riverhawks showed no ill-effects of their April 4, 11-1, loss to Pendleton by jumping on HRV with two, first inning runs. Eagles’ lefty starter Jordan Webber issued three walks and the Riverhawks took advantage. One run came off senior Riley Brock’s RBI double to left-centerfield and the other on Nolan Donivan’s ground out.
“I love what they’re doing over there,” Reitz said of the Riverhawks, “I think Pat Clark is doing a tremendous job. Those kids fought incredibly hard. I tip my hat to Riley Brock and the way he leads that team and competes. … They’re pointed in the right direction.”
Webber settled down as the Eagles tied the game, 2-2, in the second inning, which featured a two-out, two-RBI double by Jake Von Lubken after Ethan Rivera had reached on an error and Williams had walked.
Both coaches used the game to get innings for their starting pitching rotations with league play looming. Those innings included a solid, scoreless, two-plus inning, mid-game effort by senior Manatu Crichton-Tunai of The Dalles. In the other dugout, Von Lubken came on in relief of Webber in the sixth and earned the win for his nearly three of innings of work.
The Dalles touched HRV for a pair of two-out runs in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead. No. 7 hitter Cooper Klindt walked and advanced to second on a single from Luciano Alvarado. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and both scored on senior Diego Gonzalez’s single and subsequent HRV throwing error.
Hood River struck back in its half of the inning to knot things, 4-4. Ethan Rivera and Joel Bronson each walked and later scored on a Tristen Baker single and subsequent fielding error by the Riverhawks.
Von Lubken ran into trouble in the seventh inning, by allowing a Donivan single, hitting Cody Agidius with a pitch and issuing a walk to Nathan Hedges to load the bases. The hard-throwing righty escaped on a third-out flyout to right field, stranding the three The Dalles baserunners.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.