RIDGEFIELD — Without much production at the plate to fall back on, the Ridgefield Raptors’ margin for error has often felt slim during the opening month of the 2024 season.
Such was the case Tuesday when the Raptors squandered a shutdown five-inning performance from starting pitcher Dylan Stewart plus two scoreless innings from Tito Santos in relief.
Without a run scored by either team through seven innings, and Ridgefield stuck on just one hit against Bend pitcher Reid Madariaga, the Elks exploded for 10 runs in the eighth and rolled to a 10-4 win at Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.
Bend faced three Ridgefield pitchers in that fateful inning beginning with right-handed pitcher Drew Townson, who gave up three straight walks to load the bases with no outs.
Cole Calnon knocked in a pair of runs against Ridgefield’s Ryan McClaskey, signaling the beginning an offensive barrage. Bend scored two more runs from a wild pitch and a bases-loaded hit batter to give the Elks a 4-0 lead and chase McClaskey from the game.
Ridgefield’s third reliever of the frame, Quentin Moreland, surrendered four straight base hits to the likes of Vinny Salvione, Tyler Johnson, Tyler Peterson and Josh Wakefield that plated a combined five runs. Calnon scored the Elks’ final run of the inning on a Ridgefield error to give the visitors a commanding 10-0 lead.
The Raptors elected to bring in a handful of players from the bench in the bottom half of the inning to generate some offense. Kyle Memarian snapped a seven-inning hitless streak with a single, before Justin Stransky hit a sacrifice fly to score Spencer Siegel for the Raptors’ first run.
Richard Tejeda drove in two more runs on a base hit up the middle and Memarian scored from a Bend error.
The win was Bend’s third in four tries against Ridgefield (7-11) following their June 21-23 three-game series in Central Oregon. The Elks took the first two games of the series, starting with a 6-0 shutout win and an 11-6 win that was tied through seven innings, much like Tuesday’s game, before the Elks broke through for six unanswered runs. Ridgefield took Sunday’s series finale 4-3.
Game two of the series at the RORC is slated for 6:35 p.m. Wednesday.
Three moments
Rare double play – The Raptors closed the top of the fifth inning with a double play when pitcher Dylan Stewart threw a strikeout and catcher Justin Stransky picked off a Bend runner at first base.
Missed opportunity – Hunter Katschke and Brody Mills earned back-to-back walks with one out in the seventh inning, giving the Raptors their first baserunners since the opening frame. The Raptors were unable to capitalize, leaving two runners on with a strikeout and ground ball into a fielder’s choice.
Garbage time – The Raptors avoided a shutout with four runs scored in the bottom of the eighth with base hits from Kyle Memarian, Luke Iverson and Richard Tejeda, plus a Justin Stransky sacrifice fly to score Spencer Siegel.
Three players
Reid Madariaga – Bend starting pitcher Josh Wakefield’s early exit after just one inning paved the way for Madariaga (Cumberland University), who put together six scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no hits allowed.
Dylan Stewart – Making his fourth start of the season, the Pepperdine product tossed five scoreless innings with six strikeouts, two walks and two hits allowed.
Cole Calnon – The cleanup hitter from Northwest Nazarene provided the spark for Bend’s 10-run eighth inning with a bases-loaded single that plated a pair of runs.
Three numbers
1.35 – Dylan Stewart’s earned-run average after Tuesday’s performance, the sixth-best mark in the West Coast League among players who have pitched at least 10 innings.
7 – Innings without a hit for Ridgefield from Justin Stransky’s single in the opening frame until Kyle Memarian added a base hit in the bottom of the eighth.
.203 – Ridgefield’s team batting average through 18 games, which ranks 15th out of 16 WCL teams.
BOXSCORE: BEND 10, RIDGEFIELD 4
