HRV baseball splits games after return from spring break

The offensive production has slowed considerably for HRV following a red-hot Week One when the Eagles put up 34 runs against their opponents’ 12 in three games. Coach Erich Harjo said he was “very disappointed with our offensive production” in Tuesday’s game against Redmond, which was stopped for about 20 minutes during the fourth inning due to passing rain showers. Knotted up at 1-1 with Redmond, HRV lost the game after they were unable to respond to the three-run effort posted by the Panthers in the top of the eighth inning.

“We left multiple runners on base and no one stepped up with a big hit to get us going,” he said. “I believe (Redmond) walked us nine times and that should equate to at least five runs with the potential we have as a team. Adjustments weren’t made early and we paid for it.”

On a positive note, Harjo highlighted the play of senior Kam Walker, who he said pitched “very well,” giving up one run and two hits over six innings, while striking out six batters. He also scored HRV’s only run of the evening.

Walker didn’t pitch on Wednesday, but had a good day behind the plate, singling twice and getting walked twice in four at-bats. Harjo said that starting with Tuesday’s game, Walker got on base eight times in as many at-bats.

Senior Ryan Ward also had an impressive outing, leading the team with three hits in four at bats and scoring two runs. Ward was also credited with a win on the mound, striking out nine Gladiator batters in five innings and allowing two hits in what Harjo described as “an excellent pitching performance.”

Harjo also highlighted the play of senior Riley Van Hoose, who had a walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh inning, getting the win for HRV and preventing the game from heading into extra innings.

“Riley Van Hoose has worked extremely hard, and it’s paying off for him,” Harjo noted.

HRV led the game with three runs in the first inning, then gave up two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, resulting in a score of 3-3 going into the seventh before Van Hoose delivered the coup de grace to the Gladiators. Harjo said HRV was effective at making solid plays as they game’s score tightened up, which helped the Eagles get the win.

“We just kept trying to make routine plays on defense and put good at bats together,” he explained. “A huge momentum changer was when Ryan Ward threw (a) rocket to Montana Kurahara on a relay from the right field wall to gun down the go-ahead run for Gladstone. We took that momentum and energy into the bottom of the inning.”

HRV was next scheduled to play at Summit on Friday at 5:30 p.m.; results were not available because the game started after deadline. HRV then heads to Wilsonville on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. game.