RIDGEFIELD — Over the course of a team-record winning streak, the Ridgefield Raptors have won games a lot of different ways.
But they never won one like they did on Saturday night at the RORC.
After blowing a three-run lead in the top of the ninth, the Raptors got a clutch two-out RBI single from Richard Tejeda to score Dasan Harris from third, sending the Raptors to a 7-6 win over the Victoria HarbourCats in 10 innings.’
The win was the Raptors’ 12th in a row, setting a new team record.
“We had all confidence in our pitching staff, in our bullpen,” Tejeda said. “Even regardless of what happened in the ninth inning, we knew that with our offense and our pitching staff, we could win this game.”
The victory looked to be well in hand when the Raptors entered the top of the ninth with a 6-3 lead.
Even after Michael Crossland hit a home run to center field to cut the lead to 6-4, there wasn’t much cause for concern.
But Cam Schneider kept the HarbourCats alive with a two-out single.
And things looked pretty good when Raptors pitcher Wyatt Nichols made Kerim Orucevic look bad swinging at a curveball for strike two.
But when Nichols went back to the curve for the final strike, Orucevic was ready for it, golfing the ball into the right-field bullpen to tie the game 6-6.
When the game went to the 10th inning, Andrew Townson set down the HarbourCats in order in the top of the 10th.
Dasan Harris led off the bottom of the 10th for the Raptors by sending a drive to right that for a moment looked like it might get some help from a strong breeze to right.
But the ball ultimately bounced off the base of the outfield fence for a leadoff double.
Harris would take third on a passed ball, leaving the West Coast League’s leading hitter, Hunter Katschke, at the plate.
But against a drawn-in infield, Katschke grounded out to short, leaving Harris at the third.
And Harris remained at third when Colby Wallace grounded to first for the second out.
Justin Stansky drew a two-out walk after barely missing a game-winning hit when his liner down the left field line when just foul.
That brought up Tejeda, the first baseman out of USC.
After fouling off the first pitch from Victoria’s Brooks Brewster, Tejeda lined the next pitch into center for the game-winner.
“Our dugout had his pitches,” Tejeda said. “It was communicated to me. All credit goes to (teammate) Zach Todd. I heard it. He gave me the cue. I saw it, and I knew how to swing.”
After the game, it was Todd who told Tejeda about the franchise-best 12-game winning streak.
“This team is so awesome,” Tejeda said. “I’ve never had so much more fun playing baseball, and these guys make it 10 times way more fun to come to field every day.”
Three moments
Homer Hunter — Katschke got the Raptors off to a big start when he belted a two-run homer to center in the first inning to give the Raptors an early 2-0 lead.
Big throw from Stransky — The HarbourCats opened the fourth by putting runners on first and third. But Raptors catcher Justin Stransky got the first out of the inning by throwing out Fresno State teammate Sky Collins trying to steal second. It would prove a big out when Gunner Antillon followed with a double off the fence in right center, scoring just one run instead of two.
Walking for two — The Raptors loaded the bases with no out in the fifth. But two infield pop-ups threatened to end the rally. But Isaiah Chacon and Andrew Grenert drew walks to score two runs.
Three players
Colby Wallace — The left fielder from Cal State Fullerton went 2 for 4 with a run scored and two walks.
Andrew Grenert — Batting in the No. 9 spot and hitting .149 on the season, the second baseman from Loyola Marymount was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a walk.
Andrew Townson — The pitcher from Fresno State threw a perfect 10th inning to set up the Raptors’ winning rally in the 10th.
Three numbers
12-0 — The Raptors remain undefeated in the second half of the season.
11 — The number of walks Raptors hitters drew on Saturday. And that doesn’t include three hit batsmen.
13 — Hits collected by the HarbourCats, compared to seven by the Raptors.
