Written by Raptors Broadcaster Hunter Shumake
After being home to face the Cowlitz Black Bears, the Ridgefield Raptors will embark on their longest road trip of the year. The Raps will kick off the trip by heading to Yakima Valley, then they will travel south into Oregon to play Bend later in the week. At home, the Raptors were not able to complete the series against Cowlitz. On Father’s Day, game three was canceled due to inclement weather. That game, which was canceled, is slated to be contested when Ridgefield travels to Cowlitz later in the season. Even though game three was canceled, Ridgefield was able to win the series as they were victorious in games one and two. Ridgefield now have a record of 8-6. While Ridgefield had a slow start to the season, they head to Yakima on a four game win streak along with a 7-3 record in the previous ten games they have played.
During the two games that were played at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex against Cowlitz, Ridgefield fans were introduced to new faces playing at the RORC for the first time. Jackson Nicklaus highlighted the group when his first at-bat at the RORC left the yard with a solo homerun. Nicklaus continued his excellence in the bottom of the 9th. Nicklaus came up to bat with the bases-loaded and the Raps trailing by two runs. Nicklaus proceeded to rope a hit into right ϐield to give the Raptors the walk-off win.
In game two against Cowlitz, Ridgefield saw three balls exit the outfield walls. Nick Seamons in his second game at the RORC had a solo shot over the right field wall for his first home run of the year. Along with Seamons, Britton Beeson saw his bat come alive when he had two home runs in the second game. Beeson now leads the club with the most homeruns at three.
For the Yakima Valley Pippins, they are coming off an extended road trip playing in Nanaimo and in Victoria. Through the trip, Yakima went 2-4 against the two teams and won game three in both series. The Pippins now have a record of 6-9 in the West Coast League. Offensively, Yakima is led by Tommy Eisenstat. Eisenstat leads the team in hits, with 20. He also holds the best average on the club at .400. As a team, the Pippins hold a batting average of .227.
The Raps look to continue their solid play as they traverse the Pacific Northwest. The first pitch against Yakima Valley is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20th at 6:35 PM PDT. For more information, visit ridgefieldraptors.com. #GoRaps