Hood River’s Mason Spellecy slides into second base while avoiding the tag from The Dalles’ Nolan Donivan on May 17. Hood River beat The Dalles 7-2 and handed the Riverhawks a loss in their final game of the season.
Hood River’s Mason Spellecy slides into second base while avoiding the tag from The Dalles’ Nolan Donivan on May 17. Hood River beat The Dalles 7-2 and handed the Riverhawks a loss in their final game of the season.
It’s playoff time, with the goal now to play as long as possible — you win you advance, you lose you go home, as they say.
“One game at a time from here on out,” said Hood River Valley’s baseball Coach Max Reitz last week, after the Eagles had clinched the 2022 Intermountain Conference championship.
A sweep of Gorge rival The Dalles helped Hood River accomplish that task; the final of the three-game series was a 7-2 HRV win May 17 at home. The victory was highlighted by the Eagles’ five-run sixth inning which helped them finish the IMC with a 13-2 record, two games ahead of runner-up Pendleton.
Senior right-hander Mason Spellecy struck out 15 in the seven-inning game, scattering five hits and two runs — both in the top of the sixth. “Spellecy was outstanding, and it was a great effort from him as we head into the playoffs,” Reitz said.
Kyle Smiley and Drew Beam each doubled for HRV, which took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Beam and Trenton Hughes both had two hits for the aggressive Eagles, who stole four bases.
“Proud of this group for their 13-2 IMC record,” the coach said of his roster, which includes 12 seniors.
The Eagles (19-7 overall), IMC title in hand and ranked seventh in state, will play Rex Putnam of Milwaukie in the first round of the 2022 playoffs. Wednesday’s contest begins at 5 p.m. at HRV. Rex Putnam, ranked 10th in the final OSAA poll, finished in second place in the Northwest Oregon Conference with a 19-8 record.
Kingsman Coach Chad McGowan prophetically said before the season: “We have some talented guys in the right spots. If we stay healthy, we should end up somewhere near the top of the NWOC.”
The group of talented guys includes shortstop/pitcher Vinny Salvione, a senior, who has committed to play baseball at University of Portland.
For Hood River, sandwiched around the win over The Dalles were non-league games against Gresham and Summit — with mixed results. HRV topped the playoff-bound (Class 6A) Gophers, 7-2. Jordan Webber was solid on the mound for host Hood River, throwing 41/3 innings of no-hit ball, walking two and striking out 10. Keegan Losee finished the final two-plus innings, allowing both Gresham runs on one hit, striking out four.
Offensively for HRV, lead-off hitter Hughes and Spellecy each were 3-for-3 — Spellecy knocked in five of the Eagles’ seven runs.
Things didn’t go as smoothly three days later, when Hood River closed its regular season slate on the road at Bend’s Summit High. The Eagles couldn’t get out of town fast enough, losing 15-3 to the Class 6A Storm. HRV held a 3-0 lead after a half inning, but it was all Summit after that point. Spellecy had two hits, including a triple, and he also knocked in a run. The 11th-ranked Storm outhit the visitors 10-4 and the Eagles committed five errors.
“I don’t think this game represents or defines who we are, so once again, (we) turn the page and focus on Wednesday,” Coach Reitz said.
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