Columbia Basin River Dogs fall to Cape Cod

EPHRATA — The River Dogs were hoping to get on the board first and make Texas play catch-up ball and the plan worked with the team taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when a sac fly by Cameron Valdez scored Tristan Garland from third in Friday night’s ball game.

But the wheels came off the bus in the bottom of the frame for last year’s runner-up when the teams’ typically stout defense uncharacteristically committed three errors that led to 6 Nederland runs.

Back-to-back singles and an error by Valdez loaded the bags for Texas. An error by shortstop Joe Taylor produced the first run. An RBI single by Case Babino and a ground out to second plated two more to make it 3-1 Nederland.

The fourth single of the innings pushed the score to 4-1. Texas hung two more on the board on Taylor’s second inning of the frame.

Neither team mounted a scoring threat over the next four innings and the score remained 6-1 Nederland.

The never say die River Dogs came alive in the top of the seventh on an Abel Gomez single and walks by Dakota Fingar and Zach Berryman to load the bases for the host team. But Columbia Basin produced just one run as Taylor grounded out to third and Nick Lopez went down swinging and the season came to an end for the local ball club.

“The game is about good defense, good pitching and clutch hitting and we failed at two of them,” manager Randy Boruff said. “We didn’t get clutch hitting or good defense.”

Columbia Basin outhit Texas, 7-6, but committed twice as many errors (4-2) and that was the real story of the contest.

Quincy Vasser got the start on the bump for the River Dogs and pitched three innings of six-hit ball. He gave up all six Nederland runs. Jonathan Garza came on in relief and pitched three solid innings of no-hit ball. Ethan Etter was the only player with multiple hits (2) in the contest. Taylor and Valdez recorded an RBI each.

“It might have been a different situation had we started Garza – or Abel Gomez as far as that goes,” Boruff said. “But it what it is – make the plays and we’re right there.”

This one obviously stung as the River Dogs didn’t get beat by a better team; they beat themselves.

This past World Series marks the final time the venue will be staged in Ephrata. The Columbia Basin River Dogs have hosted the event six times since 2000, including back-to-back years in 2016-17, and according to River Dog spokesman and PA announcer of the games, Steven Smith, “The tournament has kinda run its course in Ephrata.”

“We’ve enjoyed hosting the World Series, but the group staging the event has gotten smaller each year and it’s time for others around the country to have their turn,” Smith said. “The Babe Ruth people have been terrific to work with – its been a magnificent venue, one in which the locals have really put their heart and soul into.”

Johnson-O’Brien Stadium will be the host site of the 2018 Washington State Tournament. The Regional Tournament will be held in Gillette, Wyo., and the Senior Babe Ruth World Series will move back to Jamestown, N.Y. for the first time since 1995.

Columbia Basin 1

Tucson 0

Columbia Basin holds on to beat Tucson

EPHRATA – The Columbia Basin River Dogs got past a scrappy Tucson, Ariz. club 1-0 and dodged a few bullets along the way in a do-or-die quarterfinal win in Ephrata last night.

“That’s our club – no bitter expectancy – we live by the sword and die by the sword – that’s the way we’ve played all year,” coach Randy Boruff said. “We have won 39 ball games this year – won four in a row now and over the last three years are 14-3 in World Series play.”

Tucson threatened on more than one occasion in the contest; loading the bases three times, and had a runner thrown out at the plate.

The first instance was in the top of the first inning when Kaden Murphy gave up a single and two walks to start the ball game. That brought Boruff to the mound for some encouraging words for his starter.

“I told him his career – he’s an 18-year-old kid – as a River Dog is about to come to an end – you’ve got this guy to deal with and if you don’t get it done, I’m going to bring someone else in so you better get it figured out. He did and then he struck out the next five guys.”

Columbia Basin posted the only run of the game in the home half of the third when Duncan Favor scored on an error by Tucson’s right fielder.

Three walks issued by Murphy in the top of the fifth loaded the bags for the second time in the contest. But he got Wriggs McGuire to pop up to Joe Taylor at short to end the threat.

Arizona appeared to have tied the game on a controversial play at the plate in the top of the sixth. But the call went in favor of the River Dogs as the runner was called out to thwart another Tucson scoring opportunity.

“That was a real heads up play by Nick Lopez. He was able to make the throw – grabbing the ball quickly and throwing home,” Boruff said – “And a great block at the plate by Tristan Garland – that’s what it takes to win a close ball game.”

The River Dogs dodged one last bullet in the top of the 7th when the Pacific Northwest Regional Champion loaded the bases for a third time with two out. Taylor, who relieved McLean in the top of the frame after the mandatory 105 pitch count, served up two ground outs but then proceeded to give up three consecutive singles. He got out of the jamb by getting Keegan Graf to ground out to Zach Berryman at short to end the game.

“We bring Taylor in because he doesn’t get rattled,” Boruff said. “He has three saves and that’s why we put him out there.”

Murphy threw six innings of one-hit ball, fanned six and walked six along the way to picking up the win. Taylor got the save.

The win puts the World Series host team and last year’s runner-up in a semifinal contest against American Division No. 1 seed Nederland, Texas tonight at 8 p.m. The winner moves on to the championship game Saturday.

“We’ve been to the semifinals the last three years – some of these teams haven’t been there, so we’ll rely on our experience,” Boruff said. “We’ve had a couple kids – Murphy and Lopez who were on the 2015 championship team and our coaching staff has been together for quite a while now. We’ve played Cape Cod and Missouri and we’re going up against Texas. If we don’t win it – who ever does – they will have had to go through us to do it.”