With the West Coast League All-Star break in the rearview mirror, the regular season is officially entering its final stretch. Three weeks from now, the Ridgefield Raptors will be preparing for the WCL Playoffs, but they’ll look to regain their footing before postseason baseball begins. The Raptors have had a tough start to the second-half of the season, but will look to turn the page after some much needed rest.
Ridgefield was swept by Walla Walla, Yakima Valley and Portland during the second half. Its last West Coast League victory came on June 28 against the Port Angeles Lefties.
The July skid comes after a dominant June in which the Raptors won 15 of 19 games and opened the season 8-1 on the road. Ridgefield’s offense powered that success, leading the WCL in home runs, extra-base hits, RBIs and slugging percentage during the first half.
The bats have cooled to begin the second half, while the pitching staff has struggled with command, issuing too many walks and allowing opponents to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
Bend won two of three games when the teams met June 23-25. The Elks entered that series having lost seven of their previous 10 games and sitting seventh in the WCL South standings, but took the first two games by scores of 9-2 and 3-1 before the Raptors avoided the sweep.
In the opener, Oregon State incoming freshman August Ware no-hit Bend through three innings before the Elks broke through the second time they faced him. After a leadoff hit-by-pitch and consecutive singles loaded the bases, Keedan Nadeau lined a two-run single to open the scoring. Noble Ortega later added a two-run double in the fifth inning and also tossed three innings of relief as Bend claimed a 9-2 victory.
The second game turned into a pitchers’ duel. Tyler Walker (Washington) worked six innings, allowing two runs on four hits, while Trevor Kaiser limited Bend to one unearned run over four innings. The Elks added an insurance run in the seventh before holding off a late Raptors threat to secure a 3-1 win. JT Summers (Oregon) drew a two-out walk in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, but WCL Player of the Week Zach Wadas struck out looking to end the game.
Ridgefield salvaged the finale with a 9-3 victory, a win that also clinched the WCL South first-half championship. Summers finished 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI double and two walks, while Reagan McCluskey and Jayden Blalack delivered bases-loaded RBIs to help the Raptors avoid the sweep.
The Raptors return home next Tuesday, July 21st as they welcome the Marion Berries to the RORC for a three-game series to kick off a 6-game homestand. Tickets are available at ridgefieldraptors.com, and fans can watch every game live at ridgefieldraptors.com/stream.