Fighting from the bottom of the hole

Junior River Dogs gear up for must win game

After taking a blow from a desperate Nederland, Texas team, Columbia Basin puts on the gloves to find life at the 16-year-old Babe Ruth World Series.

The Junior River Dogs opened the season with a win over Northern Fairfax, Va. on Sunday, but dropped the next two, scoring a total of one run and stranding 14 base runners, eight of which in scoring position. Columbia Basin showed a different team that cruised through the regional tournament, defeating each team in its path and scoring at least seven runs in each game.

"They are facing stiffer competition here, that's all," said Junior River Dog manager Chuck Hansen. "It is the same team, we just aren't getting any breaks at all."

Instead of breaks, it has been breakdowns in base running, clutch hitting and hitting with runners in scoring position. Columbia Basin batted 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position in the first three games of the series, just above their .234 team batting average for the World Series.

The only break has been the defense that has only committed two errors in 88 chances.

"We should be out in front, instead we have to play tomorrow," said Mike Ratigan, starting pitcher for the Junior River Dogs.

Fighting for air, Hansen and the rest of his crew look for life against a Stamford, Conn. baseball team that handed Nederland its second loss of the tournament Monday night. Hansen said he and the rest of the coaching staff have done its part, but need some vocal leadership out of his ball club to put Stamford away.

But the task got a little tougher. Columbia Basin is fighting for life while Stamford is in a position to lock up the No. 2 spot in the American League with a win over the Junior River Dogs on Wednesday.

Ratigan, Curran Redal and Scott Elder have gotten it done at the plate as the most productive three-some on the team, combining for 8-19 batting, three RBIs and two runs in the series. But, Hansen said he needs more than silent leaders on the team.

"We need a guy on the team to step up and if he has to, get in a guys face to pick it up and play to their potential instead of going through the motions," Hansen said.

Hansen said the past is over and Stamford is the future of the Junior River Dogs season, while Ratigan and Elder already predicted Wednesday's outcome, promising a win to move into the next round of the playoffs on Thursday.

"We just have to come ready to play, put the ball in play and make the defensive plays," Elder said.

Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Fireman's Field in Loudoun County, Va., Columbia Basin's season will be decided. Hansen will know if he gets his leader and Elder, Redal and Ratigan will know if they get the clutch hits to put Stamford away.

"We can still come back and win this and we have a really good shot tomorrow and a win tomorrow and we will be back in it," Ratigan said.