River Dogs defeat Penticton for home tourney win

MOSES LAKE — The 18U AAA Columbia Basin River Dogs emerged victorious from their home tournament this weekend, defeating Penticton 9-7 in the championship game of the River Dog Memorial Tournament.

“I think the River Dog name, and what it’s meant over the years, is a legacy around this community,” head coach Quintz Whitaker said. “To be able to play in a tournament and host a tournament with that name on it, the people that have been here before me, it’s a real privilege.”

Columbia Basin trailed 7-3 through the first three innings of Sunday’s championship game, as the Tigers scored five runs in the bottom of the third on an error, an RBI single and a bases-clearing triple.

The River Dogs chipped away at the Penticton lead in the top of the fifth, cutting the score to 7-6 with a three-run home run by designated hitter Jett Lewallen.

“All throughout the summer, that’s just him — that’s just who he is,” Whitaker said. 

Another three-run inning followed in the top of the sixth, where left fielder Kollin Babst drove in the game-tying run after grounding into a fielder’s choice, sending home center fielder Jackson Carlos. In the next at-bat, right fielder Camden Schmitten delivered a two-RBI single to give the River Dogs the lead.

“I was just trying to get a ball in play to get the tying run, then I got on base and was like, ‘I hope I score here,’” Babst said. “Cam Schmitten hit one, then I just ran home.”

Columbia Basin secured the win in the bottom of the seventh inning, with pitcher Skylar Bryant recording the final out with a strikeout.

Pitcher Travis Visker earned the win for the River Dogs, stepping on the mound in relief of starter Wyatt Cole, pitching 3.2 innings and surrendering three hits and one walk while recording four strikeouts.

“It’s guys coming up who have struggled and fought all summer,” Whitaker said. “We had some big performances — I could name eight, 10 guys that performance-wise had maybe scuffled at times, and showed up today. Some big performances.”

Bracket play opened Sunday morning with the River Dogs defeating the Pullman Patriots 4-0, two days after losing to Pullman 4-1 in pool play.

Pitcher Kason Whitaker took the mound for 6.2 innings, surrendering five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. 

“I think our defense really stepped up,” Kason said. “... our errors didn’t end up costing us, our defense was pretty locked in.”

Carlos gave Columbia Basin a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, and Lewallen extended the lead to 3-0 with a two-run RBI in the bottom of the third. 

The game's final run also came in the bottom of the third inning, as catcher Holden Koziol singled on a fly ball to center field that sent home Lewallen.

“It was a fastball at the middle of the plate, so I just sat back and (swung) at it,” Lewallen said. 

The semifinal win was the second time the River Dogs had shut out an opponent this summer, with the previous shutout coming in a 6-0 win over the Yakima Pepsi Beetles on June 5.

“Kason pitched well, that helped out a lot,” Lewallen said. “Guys made plays in the field for him, like we can.”

A win in the semifinals, combined with a 4-1 showing at last weekend’s Spokane Wood Bat Classic, was some positive momentum for the team heading into Sunday’s championship game, Quintz said. 

“Last weekend we were that close to having a chance to play in the championship (bracket),” Quintz said. “We played some really good baseball and had shown some progress from where we were at different points in the summer. (Sunday), we had a little momentum going after the first one.”

Columbia Basin went 1-3 in pool play at the River Dog Memorial tournament, defeating FGA Plakata 9-2 on Friday morning and falling 4-1 to Pullman, 11-1 to Penticton and 7-5 to Chewelah. The team finished fourth in the tournament standings but substituted for Chewalah in bracket play after the 49ers were running thin on pitching.

“To maintain some integrity in the tournament, because they said if they had to play an extra game they would have had to forfeit, rather than forfeit a game they wanted to pass a team on,” Quintz said. “We just happened to be the team that was fortunate to take their place, and we showed up to play today.”

The River Dog Memorial Tournament was the final tournament of the summer for Columbia Basin, but Quintz said the team is looking to add a few more games.

“We had a hard season,” Babst said. “This is a good win to end out the season.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

    River Dog pitcher Kason Whitaker pitches against Pullman in the semifinals of the River Dog Memorial Tournament on Sunday in Moses Lake.
  

    River Dog right fielder Adrian Martinez rounds third base during a pool play game against Penticton on Saturday.
  

    River Dog catcher Blaine Macdonald follows where the ball goes after being hit during a pool play game against Penticton on Saturday.
  

    The 18U AAA Columbia Basin River Dogs defeated Penticton 9-7 in the championship game of this weekend’s River Dog Memorial Tournament on the baseball field at Big Bend Community College.