Written by Raptors Broadcaster Hunter Shumake
The Ridgefield Raptors will return home to the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex after completing a three game road trip in Bellingham. Going into game three, the Raps have won the first two contests against the Bells at Joe Martin Field and have been victorious in the last five contests against the Bells. It is the second and final time that the Raptors will play six straight contests against a single opponent in the 2023 West Coast League season.
In the first two games against the Bells, the Raptors scored in bunches. Through the first 18 innings played at Joe Martin Field, Ridgefield scored in four innings, they racked in 14 runs in those four innings. Offense production had been a common thread in the five games played against Bellingham. In those games, the Raps scored 34 runs against a strong pitching staff. Heading into the first game against Bellingham, the team ERA for the Bells was at 2.58 (best in the WCL). However, the robust offense generated by Ridgefield has single handily pushed the Bells’ team ERA above 3.
After the back to back series against Bellingham, the Raptors will now set their sights on the Yakima Valley Pippins. The first time that these two teams played each other was back on June 20th– 22nd. In that series, Ridgefield swept the Pippins enroute to shattering the franchise record of most consecutive wins (which is now 11). Even though the Raptors swept the first series against Yakima at Yakima County Stadium, the first two contests were decided by one run.
The first series against Yakima Valley was highlighted by Ridgefield’s solid pitching. In that series, the team ERA for Ridgefield was 2.33. Blake Hammond and Sawyer Allen, two starters in the series, picked up the wins.
To close out the first half of the regular season, Yakima Valley was at the bottom of the southern division along with Walla Walla—with a record of 10-16. Now in the second half of the season, the second half record for the Pippins is 2-5, with an overall record of 12-21.
For Yakima, their offense is generated by Tommy Eisenstat and Jace Phelan. Both Eisenstat and Phelan typically find themselves in the third and fourth position in the order for Kyle Krustangel, the manager for the Pippins. Eisenstat has the highest average on the team at .289, and Phelan leads the team with the most extra base hits at 12.
The Raptors will be back at home in Ridgefield for a three game series. The first pitch against the Pippins will be on July 14th at 6:35 PDT PM. For more information, visit ridgefieldraptors.com. #GoRaps