RIDGEFIELD — For five innings, the only baserunner the Ridgefield Raptors could manage off Walla Walla pitcher Zack Hangas came courtesy of a misplayed infield pop-up.
But Isaiah Chacon said the Raptors never felt out of the game.
“Any time our pitchers are doing their best, we try to our best as hitters, too,” Chacon said. “We want our pitchers to feel confident with their pitches, so we as hitters just try to get the bat on the ball any way we can.”
Chacon delivered with the bat in the seventh inning, driving home Colby Wallace with an RBI double to lead the Raptors to a 4-3 win over the Sweets on Thursday and notching Ridgefield’s six consecutive win.
For the first five innings, the early 3-0 lead that Walla Walla built in the first two innings was looming large as Hangas threw five no-hit innings.
“His fastball kind of stayed low, just rode all the way through the strike zone,” Chacon said. “Our adjustment was to just let him come to us instead of getting ourselves out with no strikes. We were able to get him deep in the count to see the pitches that we wanted.”
It started with a leadoff walk drawn by Julian Nunez to open the sixth inning. Nunez took second on a stole base, then one out later Taylor Tanaka got the Raptors’ first hit to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Jack Salmon followed with a drive to deep right that was misplayed by Walla Walla’s Logan Meyer. Meyer either misjudged the carry on the ball or lost it in the sun. Either way, the ball fell for an RBI triple for Salmon. Luke Iverson followed with a single to tie the game 3-3.
Playing right field himself, Chacon understood Meyer’s battles in the outfield with the wind blowing out to right with the setting sun in his face.
“It’s pretty difficult,” Chacon said. “All you see is this black sphere coming toward you, and you know the wind is going to carry it. You just have to read the ball and its trajectory on which way it’s going to move — left, right or center.”
Wallace opened the bottom of the seventh with a single and was sacrificed to second by Justin Stransky. Then Chacon lined the ball down the right field line to bring Wallace home with what proved to be the winning run.
Three moments
Fast start — The Sweets got the jump on the Raptors and pitcher Zach Todd, opening the game with two doubles and a single to take a 2-0 lead after one inning.
Chacon with glove — A half inning after driving in the go-ahead run, Chacon turned in a solid defensive play, overcoming the wind and sun to make a diving catch to end the top of the eighth.
Close call — With the tying run on second base, Joel Esparza lined the ball down the left-field line that went just foul. Esparza would go on to draw a walk, but the Raptors’ Tito Santos got JJ Moran to ground to third to end the game.
Three players
Julian Nunez — The shortstop went 0 for 2, but his walk and stolen base sparked a three-run rally in the sixth for the Raptors.
Luke Iverson — The designated hitter went 1 for 4 and drove home the tying run. His season average sits at .330.
Tito Santos — Santos threw two hitless innings of relief to record the save.
Three numbers
4.1 — Innings of scoreless relief pitched by the Raptors’ Mac Elske and Tito Santos.
6-0 — The Raptors’ record in the second half of the season as they head to Springfield for a three-game weekend series against the Drifters.
1:49 — The duration of the game. The game ended at 8:23 p.m., before the sun set and no lights were needed.
BOX SCORE
