Ridgefield Raptors' Hayden Minich (13) pitches during final game of the season against the Bend Elks at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex, Sunday, August 11, 2019. (Roberto Rodriguez / for The Columbian) Photo Gallery
RIDGEFIELD — The Ridgefield Raptors’ inaugural season ended exactly where it started: at home and with a .500 record.
Behind a strong outing from Mountain View alumnus Hayden Minich and home runs from Grayson Sterling and Dusty Garcia, the Raptors topped the Bend Elks 4-3 on Sunday at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.
They finish the year 27-27 in West Coast League play, winning their final four games.
“It’s definitely a good to end on a W, and finish .500,” Minich said. “It was a lot of fun today.”
Minich shines in season finale
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Cameron Repetti, after throwing two spectacular innings and hitting a walk-off home run in an 11-inning affair Saturday night, earned the save, his team-high sixth of the season.
As the final out was made official, the team surrounded Repetti on the mound as a rousing applause from the nearly 1,300 in attendance poured from the seats.
The West Coast League’s playoffs will begin on Tuesday. The Raptors will return to action next June, with season-ticket sales scheduled to open to the public in October.
Three key moments
Wild pitches — Jonny Weaver started the game with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored after two groundouts. The following inning, Willie Cano doubled and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 as Bend pitcher Joe Williams struggled with his command.
Boom ball — Grayson Sterling and Dusty Garcia each hit solo home runs in the second and third innings, respectively, to help the Raptors to an early 4-0 lead.
Two outs, so what? — The Elks picked up four hits and two runs after the first two batters of the fifth and sixth innings were retired. The rallies cut the Raptors lead to 4-3.
Three key players
Grayson Sterling — The Gonzaga sophomore hit his third homer of the season, and second of the series in the second inning. The solo home run to center field put the Raptors up 2-0. He finished the season hitting .281.
Zach Needham — The Lewis-Clark State senior was a triple shy of the cycle, going 3 for 4 with his sixth homer of the season, a solo blast in the fourth inning for the Elks.
Hayden Minich — The Mountain View alumnus followed up his complete-game performance with a season-high eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and one walk. He finished with a 4.82 ERA on the year.
“Definitely the slider,” Minich said of his gaudy strikeout totals Sunday after picking up just 13 punchouts in his first 22 innings with the team. “I was getting a lot of good break on it, and was making people guess.”
Three numbers
35 — Home runs by the Raptors this season, the third-highest total in the league. They hit two on Sunday.
46 — Home runs hit at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex in 27 West Coast League games this season. Three were hit on Sunday.
4 — Playoff teams in the West Coast League. This year those berths went to Corvallis and Walla Walla out of the South Division, and Victoria and Wenatchee out of the North. The Knights and HarbourCats each won both halves of the season, giving the Sweets and AppleSox berths via overall record. Walla Walla will host Corvallis in a best-of-three opening series Tuesday. Wenatchee will host Victoria the same day. The winners move on to play in the championship series, starting Aug. 17. The Knights are three-time defending champions and won a league-record 42 games this season.
Linescore
RAPTORS 4, ELKS 3
Bend 000 111 000—3 9 1
Ridgefield 121 000 00x—4 5 0
Bend
Pitching — Joe Williams 3 IP (L), 3 H, 4 R, 2 BB; Wryland McKnight 3 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K; Alan Embree 2 IP, 1 H; Highlights — Brad Morgan 1-4; Jake Johnson 1-4, RBI, SB; Dante DeNiro 1-3; Zach Needham 3-4, 2 R, RBI, HR, 2B; Dayton Provost 2-4, 2B; Jake Jarvis 1-4, RBI.
