RIDGEFIELD – For having just arrived in town, this season’s Ridgefield Raptors haven’t been shy.
Saturday, they put on a hit parade. Home plate is the one place the Raptors have not been timid.
Ridgefield pounded 22 hits on Saturday in a 16-5 win over the Bend Elks at Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.
All nine starters had at least one hit as Ridgefield won its second straight lopsided game over Bend to open the West Coast League season.
The first four hitters in Ridgefield’s lineup each had three hits. Five of nine starters are hitting .400 or better to start the season.
“I think we’re really relaxed right now,” said Raptors outfielder Tafton Hensley. “We have some really good players from really good colleges. These guys know how to hit.”
Hensley, who played this spring for College of the Canyons (Calif.), went 3 for 6 on Saturday to raise his average to .400.
Coby Morales drove in three runs, including a two-run homer to center field. John Peck and Cole Urman also had three RBI.
Hensley said baseball fans should expect the Raptors to be aggressive at the plate this season.
“We have high expectations for the Raptors this year,” said Hensley. “We want to win a lot of games and score a lot of runs.”
Stringing hits together – Ridgefield’s four-run second inning was an attack by a thousand cuts. The first eight batters reached base, starting with a bunt single by Hensley. The bottom of the order (Urman, Trevor Torpa and Tanner Jacques) hit consecutive RBI singles, then Caden Connor doubled to right to put the Raptors up 4-1.
Power flex – The heart of Ridgefield’s batting order also got into the action, powering a three-run fourth inning. Hensley, the cleanup hitter, lashed an RBI ground-rule double one batter after Morales tripled. Hensley scored, along with Will Chambers, on a two-RBI single by Urman to put Ridgefield ahead 8-1
Relentless Raptors – Ridgefield entered the eighth inning ahead 11-2. But their biggest inning offensively was at hand. Ridgefield scored five runs on five hits, including a two-RBI double by Peck.
Nick Nygard – The starting pitcher and Columbia River grad got the Raptors off on the right foot with three solid innings. Nygard, who was a reliever this spring for University of Portland, had six strikeouts and allowed one run, two hits and two walks.
Coby Morales – After going hitless in Friday’s West Coast League opener, the Raptors first baseman showed his power. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder from Cypress College (Calif.) crushed a two-run homer over the 20-foot-tall batter’s eye in center field to give Ridgefield an 11-2 lead in the fifth. Morales led off the previous inning with a triple.
Beau Kearsey – The 2018 Union grad pitched five innings of relief, shutting down Bend in four of them. The Central Washington University pitcher entered in the fifth, allowing two hits, walking none and striking out two through the eighth inning. Kersey also pitched the ninth, when Bend’s bats woke up to generate three runs and four hits.
10 – Number of assists/putouts Raptors shortstop Tanner Jacques had Saturday. The Skyview grad made three difficult plays deep in the hole look easy, turned an unassisted double play and had no errors.
32 to 12 – The margin Ridgefield has outhit Bend in the first two games of the series.
.440 – Ridgefield’s batting average with runners in scoring position Saturday. Raptors hitters were 11 for 25.
RIDGEFIELD 16, BEND 5
Bend 100 100 003—5 8 2
Ridgefield 041 330 05x—16 22 1
Bend
Pitching – Drake Borschowa 1.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 K, 2 BB; Jake Snyder 2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB; Eamon Velarde 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K; Dylan Anderman 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB; Kaden Roettger 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 K, 0 BB; Charlie Steuer 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 1 K, 1 BB; Riley Quinton 0.2 IP 1 H, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB. Highlights – .
Ridgefield
Pitching – Nick Nygard 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 6 K, 2 BB; Ben Lake 1 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Beau Kearsey 5 IP, 6 Hm 3 ER, 2 K, 1 BB. Highlights – Caden Connor 3-6, 2 R, RBI, 2B; John Peck 3-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B; Coby Morales 3-6, 3 R, 3 RBI, HR, 3B; Tafton Hensley 3-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B; Will Chambers 2-5, 2 R, RBI; Kody Darcy 2-5, R; Cole Urman 2-5, R, 3 RBI, R; Trevor Torpa 2-3, 2 R, SB; Dominic Enbody 1-1, R; Tanner Jacques 1-3, RBI.
