The Dalles 15U All-Stars were on the field Tuesday for regionals play in Camas, Wash. for their first pool play game against Alberta, Canada. The pitchers walked 15 and the defense committed six errors in a lopsided 20-9 mercy-ruled loss. Jess Burkhardt photo
The Dalles 15U All-Stars were on the field Tuesday for regionals play in Camas, Wash. for their first pool play game against Alberta, Canada. The pitchers walked 15 and the defense committed six errors in a lopsided 20-9 mercy-ruled loss. Jess Burkhardt photo
The Dalles 15U All Stars totaled 14 hits and plenty of chances to score, but five different pitchers combined to walk 15 batters and the defense committed six errors in a 20-9 mercy-ruled loss to Alberta, Canada Tuesday in pool play action at the Babe Ruth Regional Tournament in Camas, Wash.
Alberta scored eight runs in the first inning, but The Dalles methodically chipped away at that deficit and inched to within six runs at one point.
In the sixth inning, TD had an opportunity to keep the game going, but left two runners in scoring position, as the final out was recorded to induce the mercy rule.
“We never gave up. I will give them credit for that,” said TD head coach David Hough. “Our hitting was pretty decent when we hit it. We gave ourselves chances. When you can’t throw strikes or field the ball, you cannot compete at this level.”
Riley Mills led The Dalles’ offense with a 3 for 3 effort, adding a single, a double and a triple to his hit line.
Henry Lee and Baily Hajicek followed up Mills’ effort with two hits each in their three at-bats.
Even after the loss, coach Hough said he is looking forward to the response level from his group.
“We had a big talk last night and I challenged them to battle back from their performance,” Hough said. “They know they didn’t put out their best effort and we know that we are just as good as any of these teams here. We will need to move past this game and look ahead for our next game.”
Hough went on to say that the core members of this team have not lost consecutive games since the 2013 season, so there is a good vibe there.
Although The Dalles coach used five pitchers in Tuesday’s contest, he has two big arms in Lee and Jeremiah Brittle ready to pitch in tonight’s 7 p.m. game against Camas.
If they lose, it makes a bracket berth that much more difficult to attain.
“This will be a good test for us,” Hough said. “All of these teams are good and well-coached. We know that, so we need to limit our miscues and respond the way I know they can if we are going to stay alive in this tournament. We will see how it goes, but I am confident we will see a different team on the field tonight.”
The Dalles will also play against a team to be determined at 10 a.m. on Friday in a pool play matchup.
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