RIDGEFIELD — On a rain-soaked afternoon at Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex, the Ridgefield Raptors went through batting practice intent on finding some consistency at the plate.
Nothing was out of the ordinary about this late June afternoon aside from the weather. But as the Raptors would come to realize hours later, they began to see the rewards from their tireless efforts in a 5-0 win over the Bend Elks on Thursday with nine hits contributed by eight players in the lineup.
The Raptors captured their first home series win of the season and improved to 9-11.
“(Our) focus on and off the field, we’re pretty focused right now,” Ridgefield’s Dasan Harris said. “So, I think the wins will just keep rolling.”
Batting in the second spot, Harris got Ridgefield started with a base hit in his first at-bat and knocked through an RBI double off the fence in right field to put the Raptors ahead 3-0 in the fourth inning.
The quick start appeared to put the team’s entire lineup at ease. Luke Iverson and Ryder Cutlip provided RBI base hits to give the Raptors their first two runs in the third inning, while five additional players — Taylor Takata, Hunter Katschke, Brody Mills, Patrick Engskov and Isaiah Chacon — each had one hit against the Elks (13-11).
“Hitting is contagious at the end of the day,” Cutlip said, “and when the guy in front you catches a barrel, you kind of are like, ‘OK, now I’m comfortable to go up there,’ and now your confidence is through the roof.”
Entering the game, the Raptors had a .203 team batting average, which ranks 15th out of 16 West Coast League teams.
Their wins have often been carried on the shoulders of their pitching staff. Thursday’s game featured another gem on the mound from starter Wyatt Nichol with seven strikeouts over four innings, plus a combined five shutout innings from relievers Isaiah Magdaleno and Mac Elske.
“I think our pitching is the reason why we’re still around that .500 mark for our record,” Cutlip said. “Our pitching has been clutch, it’s been keeping us in every single ball game. We haven’t really blown anybody out, except for maybe Port Angeles, but that’s why we’ve gotten wins on the board, is because of our pitching.”
Adding on a handful of stellar defensive plays during an error-free game and hits from one through eight in the lineup, Thursday’s game is a rare moment when everything came together for the Raptors.
“Very satisfying to put everything together,” Harris said. “Defense working, pitching working, it’s fun to be a part of.”
Ridgefield will carry some momentum into its series with another WCL South Division foe, the Portland Pickles, who will face Ridgefield in a three-game series beginning Friday at the RORC. The Pickles (15-7) have won seven of their last 10 games and sit in second place of the division standings.
Three moments
Swinging early and often – Plagued by slow offensive starts in the first two games of the series, Ridgefield took a 2-0 lead in the third inning with RBI singles from Luke Iverson and Ryder Cutlip. The run started with a leadoff single from Taylor Takata, who then stole second base to get in scoring positon.
Free pass – A pair of walks and Patrick Engskov single loaded the bases for Ridgefield’s Isaiah Chacon in the fifth inning. Chacon then earned a walk against Bend relief pitcher Andrew Frausto to score Hunter Katschke. One inning later, Katschke’s hard-hit fly ball to left field was dropped by Bend outfielder Alejandro Cazorla, allowing the Raptors to score another run for a 5-0 lead.
No more eighth-inning demons – In two previous games of the series, the eighth inning had been Ridgefield’s kryptonite with a combined 12 runs scored by the Elks. The Raptors breathed a collective sigh of relief when reliever Mac Elske retired three straight batters after giving up a leadoff single to Easton Amundson.
Three players
Wyatt Nichol – The Pepperdine product continued a streak of quality performances from Ridgefield starting pitchers in the series against Bend. Over four scoreless innings, Nichol posted seven strikeouts with two walks and three hits allowed.
Dasan Harris – The centerfielder from Oklahoma led Ridgefield with a 2-for-4 outing with an RBI double.
Luke Iverson – The utility player out of Utah Valley went 1-for-3 with an RBI and stolen base, and also made a stellar diving catch in right field.
Three numbers
5 – Consecutive games with at least one hit for Cutlip. After going 0-for-10 in his first four games, the Gonzaga-bound player is now hitting .259 on the season.
24 – Strikeouts thrown by Nichol in 15 2/3 innings this season, a Ridgefield team high.
7 – Hits tallied by the visiting Elks in a shutout defeat.
BOXSCORE: RIDGEFIELD 5, BEND 0
