On the hunt

Hunter Boyd powers River Dogs into the Babe Ruth World Series quarterfinals

EPHRATA - High-pressured situations are nothing new to Hunter Boyd.

The hard throwing right-hander was on the mound for Moses Lake when the Chiefs won their league championship, district championship and opening round state playoff game.

Monday night, Columbia Basin River Dogs head coach Randy Boruff turned to Boyd in the team's final game of pool play at the Babe Ruth World Series against the Tri Township Falcons.

The winner would move on as the No. 3 seed out of the American Division. The loser would be eliminated.

Once again, Boyd delivered a strong performance with a complete game nine-strikeout effort and the River Dogs edged the Falcons, 3-1, in front of a raucous crowd at Johnson-O'Brien Stadium.

"Hunter had a great game against a good hitting team," Boruff said. "They've hit the ball pretty well in this World Series. They had beat Alabama so for us to beat them 3-1, I couldn't ask anymore from the kid."

With the win, the River Dogs finished 2-2 in pool play and will advance to play Team Cape Cod today at 4 p.m.

Despite hitting Tri Township's Robert Knox in the first inning, Boyd looking comfortable from the opening pitch and rebounded to strike out the side in the first.

The River Dogs looked to open up an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Tristin Parton appeared to beat the Falcon throw home after Chandler Gribble singled, but the left fielder was called out.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Colton Kelly blasted a one-out triple and was later driven in by Matt Sutherland.

After leading off for Columbia Basin the entire tournament, Boruff moved Kelly to the bottom of the order against the Falcons. The tweak appeared to make Kelly more comfortable. The center fielder had been struggling throughout pool play.

"I thought that worked," Boruff said. "I just wanted to take the pressure off Colton. He came out a lot more aggressive."

The River Dogs notched two more runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 3-0.

Boyd's lone mistake of the evening came in the next inning when Knox hit a solo shot to bring the Falcons to within 3-1.

However, Boyd was able to settle down and retire five out of the next six batters, striking out Zane Moyer to end the game.

The current and former Moses Lake Chiefs were the driving force in Monday's win.

Boyd finished with a complete game three-hitter and Kelly was 3 for 3 with one run scored.

"It was big 'cause it was at our home, it was big 'cause these kids have worked on the field, it was big 'cause they've had a great," Boruff said. "Didn't want to be a casualty this year."