Alvarado hits walk-off to lead River Dogs to Senior Babe Ruth state championship

EPHRATA — On a day where they played three games in nine hours, the Columbia Basin River Dogs and Basin Rockhounds saved the best for last.

Vance Alvarado hit a two-out flare to short right field that cleared Rockhounds second baseman Jackson Gray’s glove and settled in before right fielder Davis Stocking could get there to drive in the winning run on a walk-off in the seventh inning of Saturday’s North Washington Senior Babe Ruth state championship game at Johnson-O’Brien Stadium.

It was the River Dogs White’s second consecutive state championship and earned the Columbia Basin 16-18 team its first ever trip to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series Aug. 5-12 at Johnson-O’Brien Stadium.

“We’re a young club and the kids never quit,” River Dogs manager Greco Signorelli said. “We made some adjustments. We knew we had a lot of pitchers available, so we were all right.”

Rockhounds manager Tracy Robertson shook his head, still looking out to short right field. “I’d of rather had them hit a gapper to the fence than a flare, but that’s the way to goes. We played our hearts out.”

The Rockhounds tied the game in the top of the seventh when Steven Louie drove in Travis Robertson to deadlock things at 4-4. Louie, who threw 6 2/3 innings, allowing five runs, seven hits, and striking out three, got a ground ball and a strikeout before plunking River Dogs relief pitcher Jeff Sonneman to open the door.

“I was pretty nervous on that last at-bat with two outs, but I was able to calm down,” said Sonneman, who was plunked in his previous at-bat and ended up scoring the go-ahead run in the fifth. “I was just trying to get on and make something happen.”

Emmitt Tatum singled, moving Sonneman to third base to set up the final dramatics. Louie, who finished the game with a 106 pitch count, bore down, going hard inside to the right-handed Alvarado.

The River Dogs pinch-hitter was able to muscle one inside-out for the game-winner.

The Rockhounds chased River Dogs starter Cameron Cerrillo early, scoring two runs on three hits in the first inning. River Dogs reliever A.J. Pruneda struggled with his command in the fourth inning when he walked four and gave up the tying run when Zac Smith scored after a lead-off walk. But Pruneda, the big Othello right-hander, got a huge strikeout with the bases loaded to end the inning without any further damage.

“I think if we could have gotten to (Pruneda) in the fourth, it would have been a different story,” Robertson said.

The River Dogs regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Sonneman was hit with a pitch and moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Dominic Signorelli drove in the go-ahead run for the big turnaround.

“I was trying to pull it, but it ended up going to the right side, which was good enough,” Signorelli said.

Tatum finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the River Dogs. Louie was 2-4 with an RBI for the Rockhounds. Seth Holden and Brayden Winters had an RBI apiece.

With the win, the River Dogs White will join the Blue team in the Senior Babe Ruth League World Series next month. It will be the first time the Columbia Basin program has advanced two teams to the World Series.

“Going to the World Series is pretty cool,” Signorelli said. “I think we’re just young and dumb and we’ll see what happens.”

The Rockhounds have a chance to play their way back into the World Series via the Pacific Northwest regional tournament in Calgary, Alberta July 18-23.

Rockhounds 200 100 1 - 4 4 0

River Dogs 201 010 1 - 5 7 1

HITS: RD - Emmitt Tatum 3-for-4 (2B, RBI). RH - Steven Louie was 2-4 (RBI) Seth Holden (RBI), Branden Winters (RBI).

Rockhounds 1, River Dogs 0

Davis Stocking drove in Colton Minoletti with a single in the top of the second inning and that was all it took for the Rockhounds to win a one-run shutout.

River Dogs 8, Rockhounds 0

River Dogs starter Vance Alvarado threw a no-hit, shutout, walking two and striking out seven in going the distance for Columbia Basin. The River Dogs played exceptional defense behind Alvarado and closed out with a three-run seventh inning that included doubles by Tatum and Evan McLean.