The Hattenhauer Distributing Columbia Gorge Hustlers won their third straight game in the American Legion Baseball Single A state tournament, a 6-1 win over the Redmond SunWest Builders (22-13) on July 23 at Bob Brack Stadium at North Marion High School in Aurora.
Incoming The Dalles High senior Riley Brock pitched a career game - a four-hit, nine-strikeout gem - to help lead the Hustlers (37-3) to victory in the must-win situation of the double-elimination tournament.
The Hustlers, guided by Coach Pat Clark, will now play in the three-team championship round Sunday. In a rematch of their first game of the tournament, the Hustlers will meet the Eugene Ole A’s in a 1 p.m. semifinal contest Sunday. The winner of that game plays at 4 p.m. in the championship game versus Redmond. The state champion will advance to the American Legion Regional Tournament Aug. 5-9 in Vernal, Utah.
“Riley threw the best game of his career, and it was just an incredible performance,” said Clark. “Our bats came alive, which is something that we’ve been waiting for. We’re still in this thing and I like our chances to win the championship on Sunday. We’ll have Isaac Anthony available to pitch, but we probably won’t use him until the championship game. Henry Begay will also be ready to pitch, as well. So, we’ll have a lot of guys who are ready to throw.”
The Hustlers lost 6-5 to Eugene in the opening contest of the eight-team tournament July 20.
Against Redmond on Saturday, the Hustlers built a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, highlighted by an RBI single from Gabe Petroff (2-for-3). After three scoreless innings, the Hustlers then had a four-run fifth inning to take control of the contest.
Isaac Anthony’s RBI double, an RBI double by Nathan Hedges and a two-RBI double by Carson Smith extended the Hustlers’ lead to 6-0. Redmond avoided a shutout and got a run in the sixth, which was followed by a scoreless seventh frame.
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