The No. 5-ranked The Dalles High Riverhawks remained unbeaten in the OSAA Class 4A Tri Valley Conference baseball standings after winning three league games last week.
The Riverhawks (6-0 TVC, 12-5 overall) extended their league win streak to six following a 16-11 home win over the Molalla High Indians (3-3 TVC, 8-7 overall) on April 18. The Riverhawks, guided by second-year Coach Pat Clark, won a road game 7-2 over the Gladstone High Gladiators (2-4 TVC, 6-11 overall) April 15, followed by a 13-4 road win over Molalla on April 17.
The Dalles did have its overall seven-game win streak snapped on April 19 at home when Class 6A Nelson High (10-6) beat the Riverhawks, 7-2.
“We’re playing good baseball. The boys’ confidence level is high, and the bats have been hot, so we’re in a pretty good position right now,” said Clark. “I have to credit a majority of our success mainly to our strong pitching. Our team earned run average is 2.51, which is pretty darn awesome. There’s not just one guy who is doing it all, but we have a lot of kids who have stepped up and done a great job of pitching. Good pitching makes everything easier for you. If you’re not giving up many runs, then you don’t have to score as many.”
In the win over Gladstone, the pitching trio of seniors Sam Shaver, Nolan Donivan and junior Will Booth combined for a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts and two walks. The Dalles pulled away with a three-run fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead.
The Riverhawks had nine hits led by Donivan (RBI, three walks, three runs), Booth (3-for-4, RBI), Cooper Klindt (2-for-4, three RBI), and Cody Agidius (RBI).
“Last week, our bats really came alive, which was good to see,” said Clark.
On April 17 at Molalla, the Riverhawks overcame a 2-0 first inning deficit, responding by scoring 10 runs from the second through the fifth innings. The Riverhawks had nine hits, with Booth (3-for-5, two RBI), Agidius (1-for-3, two RBI) and Avery Schwartz (1-for-4, two RBI) leading the offense. Starter Schwartz (nine strikeouts) and relievers Donivan and Cooper Cummings combined for a four-hitter, with five walks.
In a rematch between the two squads on April 18 at home the Riverhawks came-from-behind again to pull out the victory. Trailing 7-2 after three innings, the Riverhawks scored nine runs in the fourth and five more times in the final two innings. The Riverhawks, who pounded 13 hits, were led offensively by Shaver (3-for-5, four RBI), Donivan (2-for-2, three RBI), Booth (1-for-4, two RBI), Agidius (2-for-4, two RBI), Schwartz (2-for-4, RBI), and Luciano Alvarado (1-for-5, two RBI).
Starter Klindt and relievers Booth, Donivan and Shaver combined to scatter seven hits with 12 strikeouts and seven walks. Shaver has emerged as a leader on the pitching staff with an earned run average of 0.77.
The Dalles was scheduled to play the league’s other unbeaten team, Crook County (6-0, 12-3) on April 22 in Prineville and April 24 at home.
“The boys are fired up and they want to win the league title and our next series against Crook County could very well decide who wins the TVC championship,” said Clark. “Barring a big-time collapse, we’re in a pretty good spot to reach the state playoffs and one of our other goals is to win the league title and I think we’ll have a good chance to do that.”
Commented