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Riverdogs finish Bozeman tournament with pair of strong wins on Saturday

by CASEY MCCARTHY
Staff Writer | June 21, 2020 11:29 PM

MOSES LAKE — Columbia Basin Riverdogs 17U finished its tournament in Bozeman, Montana, at 2-2 after winning two games on Saturday.

The Riverdogs opened up their tournament on Friday afternoon, falling late against the Billings Blue Jays, 8-7. The Blue Jays scored twice in the first inning, leaving the Riverdogs in a hole until a four-run fifth inning put them back in front momentarily.

A pair of runs from the squad out of Billings evened the game again in the bottom of the fifth. Tied at 5-5 heading into the eighth inning, a pair of runs looked like it might give the Riverdogs the edge. However, the Blue Jays were able to pull together three runs in the bottom of the inning to hold on for the win.

Both teams combined for 21 hits, with the Riverdogs holding a slight edge at 11-10. Jett Nelson finished 2-2 from the plate for the Columbia Basin squad, including a double and a pair of RBIs. Zane Harden and Cooper Correia each knocked multiple hits as well.

In the second game of the day on Friday, the Missoula Mavericks shook off an early deficit, outpacing the Riverdogs on the way to a 10-5 win. The Riverdogs took a 4-0 lead into the top of the second inning. The Mavericks opened up the scoring, leading 7-4 before the end of the third.

Three runs in the top of the fifth proved enough to hold off a comeback as the Riverdogs fell in five innings. Five different pitchers took the mound for the Riverdogs in the defeat. Seth Olson finished 1-2 from the plate for Columbia Basin, adding a pair of runs in the loss.

The Riverdogs responded from a pair of opening losses on Friday with a strong 10-2 win over Bozeman Bucks A to kick off Saturday. Tied 2-2 after the first inning, the Riverdogs would be the only team to find the scoreboard again as they ran away with the win.

Columbia Basin out-hit its opponent 12-4 in the win. Nelson finished 4-4 from the plate in the victory, with three runs earned and one RBI. Correia and Avery Passey both finished with multiple hits as well. Asher Lindgren was the only Riverdog with multiple RBIs.

The Riverdogs rode the momentum of the win into their last game on Saturday, capping off the weekend with a 16-9 over Helena Reps. Eight runs in the top of the first inning helped the Columbia Basin squad jump ahead early. The Reps wouldn’t be buried immediately, trailing by just five runs at 11-6 after the second inning.

The Riverdogs would answer the rest of the runs the Helena squad mustered in the game, taking the win after five innings. Boe Hesse, Jacob Martinez and Beau DeChenne all finished with multiple hits in the win. Hesse finished 3-4 from the plate, with a pair of runs and RBIs as well.

Martinez led the team with three RBIs, finishing the game 2-2 with a pair of runs. DeChenne went 2-3, scoring two runs with one RBI earned.

Now two tournaments into the season, the Riverdogs sit at 4-4 for the summer.