The Dalles third in 12U district Little League play

The Dalles won three of five games, losing twice to eventual champion Bend North. The second loss came in the Wednesday, June 29 consolation game and eliminated The Dalles from the eight-team tourney.

The Dalles started hot in its opener on Saturday, June 25, scoring 21 runs on 15 hits in a shutout of Jefferson County. Chase Peterson led the hit brigade with a 4-for-4 day, scoring four times and knocking in three more. Peterson had a triple and three doubles. Catcher Kale Beardmore added a triple and double; and Gunner Bustos (three RBI), and David Gardipee each doubled. Thatcher Dray was 3-for-4 with three runs, and Ben Graham knocked in three runs, as well.

Sawyer Case earned the pitching win for manager Don Peterson’s team, recording strikeouts on each of his six outs in two innings; Peterson pitched the third inning and struck out the three batters he faced.

The quick start by The Dalles, coached by Corey Case and Keith Beardmore, was in contrast to its second-round contest. The Dalles lost,11-1, on Sunday, June 26 to Bend North. The Dalles managed just two hits - singles by third baseman Peterson and Gardipee. Dray scored the lone run for The Dalles in the first inning after he reached base via a walk. Bend North held a 3-0 lead at the time and broke the game open with four more runs in the second inning.

The loss dropped The Dalles into the consolation bracket to face Hood River in a loser out game. The Dalles’ offense came alive against its Gorge rival with a 17-hit attack in a 12-5 win. Beardmore hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, Sawyer Case had a triple and ground-rule double for a couple of The Dalles’ big blows. But the offense was spread throughout the lineup. Bustos and Gardipee both went 3-for-3. Carter Crowe scored twice for the winners; Braden Brost was an efficient 1-for-1 with an RBI.

Defensively, Dray struck out 10 in four plus innings of work. Bustos came on to get the final four outs.

The win over Hood River advanced The Dalles into a June 28 game against Bend South. The Dalles rolled in that contest, 11-0, setting up a rematch against Bend North. The winner would advance to face Redmond in the championship.

The Dalles held a 2-1 lead after the top of the second inning. Gardipee’s two-RBI single scored Beardmore, who had walked, and Bustos, who was hit by a pitch. Bend North responded with three runs in its half of the inning to take the lead for good. It added six runs in the third and three in the fourth, as the game ended because of the 10-run rule.

Bend North beat Redmond, 12-0, for the 12U Minors championship.