Eagles beat Crescent Valley, advance to round two of 5A baseball playoffs

HOOD RIVER – Hood River Valley beat Crescent Valley/Kings Valley Charter, 8-3, in round one of the 16-team OSAA Class 5A state baseball playoffs on May 26 at Traner Field in Hood River.

The No. 2-ranked Eagles (21-6), led by head coach Max Reitz, went back and forth with the No. 15 Raiders (16-12) early, but it was the Raiders who struck first in the top of the first, scoring off a bases-loaded walk. 

The Eagles responded in the bottom of the first with an RBI from senior Kingston McAdam that scored one. Tyson Harjo then raced home on a passed ball to give HRV a 2-1 lead.

The Raiders evened things up at 2-2 at the top of the second after a triple from junior Sterling Holland scored a run.

“I loved how we responded when they tied the game back up,” said Reitz. “We just kept putting pressure on them and showed that poise. I think our seniors did a great job of leading.”

In the bottom of the third, McAdam hit a sacrifice fly ball, sending junior Davin Snyder home. Soon after, sophomore Tysen Baker came home on a passed ball, scoring another run, and then sophomore Elliott Dillingham hit a two-RBI triple, to make it 6-2 Eagles.

The Raiders added their final run of the day in the top of the fourth, making it 6-3. HRV sealed the deal, scoring two more runs in the bottom of the fifth behind an RBI single from Dillingham and an RBI double from senior Nick Tuttle to push the lead to 8-3.

“Dillingham really stepped up and had two big hits for us, driving in three runs," said Reitz. “The triple was a back breaker for them.”

On the mound, sophomore Landen Pratt got the start, pitching five strikeouts in two innings. Senior Bodie Stuben picked up where Pratt left off, pitching four innings with six strikeouts, and senior Trevor Jacobs stepped in for Stuben in the seventh inning, closing the door with a strikeout.

Next up, the Eagles play Ridgeview High School (19-8) in round two of the state playoffs on May 29 at 5 p.m. in Hood River.