River Dogs bound for World Series

Sonny Garza wins MVP

EPHRATA — Baseball in the Columbia Basin will continue through the middle of August, thanks to the Senior River Dogs.

They defeated the Beaverton, Ore. Ringors in the finals of the Babe Ruth Senior Regional tournament in Ephrata on Sunday by a score of 7-5.

It means the River Dogs will compete in the Babe Ruth World Series in two weeks in Newark, Ohio.

"Our coaching staff thought we were kind of special," head coach Randy Boruff said. "We want it for these kids, they deserve to have a championship."

The River Dogs made it to championship Sunday by defeating the Camas Prairie Zephyrs on Friday and Saturday. The Dogs were the second seed from pool A and had to play the winner of pool B, the Seattle Sea Dogs.

The one through four hitters, Kyle Wilmot, Curran Redal, Hawkins Gebbers and Sonny Garza led the offense against Seattle. All four players combined to hit 8-for-16, with seven RBI.

Garza set the pace when he came up to bat with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the third inning and hit a grand slam.

"I can not say enough about the performance of Sonny Garza," Boruff said. "Not just the offense but the two saves too."

Sonny got his first save against the Sea Dogs. In the top of the seventh the Sea Dogs had two runners on base and no outs when Boruff put Garza in. He promptly got a ground ball double play from the next batter and a consecutive ground ball that ended the game, 8-3.

"I just started closing this year," Garza said. "I have a different approach, I can go out there and throw hard for one inning."

His closing capabilities were certainly put to the test in the championship game versus Oregon.

It looked at first like the River Dogs may coast to victory. Starting pitcher, lefty Chad Hunter, allowed just one hit in the first three innings.

Hunter ran into trouble though in the fourth. Oregon had runners at first and second with no outs and the Dogs were clinging to a 5-0 lead. The Ringors got their first run in via a sacrifice fly to the outfield.

Hunter hit the next batter and Boruff decided to bring in his best pitcher Derek Shoemaker to take over on the mound.

It worked poorly to start. Shoemaker's first pitch was hit over the center-field wall for a three-run homer that cut the River Dogs' lead to 5-4.

Shoemaker settled down immediately and got the Dogs out of the inning.

Neither team scored a run in the fifth inning. In the sixth though the Dogs got a chance to pad their lead a little bit. With the bases loaded and two outs Edward Rodriguez stepped to the plate and hit a clutch two-run single into center field. It gave the dogs a 7-4 lead they needed.

In the bottom of the sixth inning Beaverton had the bases loaded and one out with one run already scored against Shoemaker. Boruff brought in Garza.

"I knew if I could get to the sixth I had Sonny Garza," Boruff said. "Sonny is a bulldog closer."

Garza came in and got the first batter to bounce a grounder to the third baseman who immediately threw to home plate for the force out. Now Garza needed one more grounder and he got it for the end of the inning and the Beaverton threat.

"I told Garza we are not going to win this tournament if he did not play the way he is capable of playing," Boruff said.

The River Dogs did not score in the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom half the Dogs had just three outs between them and Newark.

Garza got two strike outs, followed by a ground out to end the game.

Everyone on the team ran to the middle of the diamond in celebration of their victory.

After all the trophies had been handed out it was announced that Sonny Garza won the award for Most Valuable Player of the tournament. He drove in 14 runs, had three home runs and hit almost .600 for the series. This is Garza's fourth and final year with the River Dogs.

"It feels good to get the MVP," Garza said. "I had a different approach this time. I was a little more relaxed. I tried not to think to much."

Now the team will travel to Newark, Ohio and play in the Babe Ruth Senior World Series. It starts on August 12 and continues until August 19.