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Verburg wins PBR event in St. Paul
Former George Fox coach takes over at
Portland State University
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First inning woes doom Tigers in finale |
Tigers give up five runs in the opening inning of
the third-place tourney game in Corvallis |
By B. Scott Anderson, Newberg
Graphic sports editor
E-mail Scott at banderson@eaglenewspapers.com
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CORVALLIS — The Vancouver Athletics
scored all five of its runs in the first inning and held off the
Abby’s American Legion AAA baseball team in the third-place game of
the Star Spangled Banner Tournament Monday with a 5-3 win against
the Tigers.
The Tigers finished 1-3 in the tournament.
“We easily could have been 3-1,” Abby’s coach Frank Baumholtz said.
“We played better defense (Monday). We only had one error and turned
two double plays and we did some really good things.”
In
the finale, Abby’s starter Matt Twenge hit the first two batters and
walked the third to start the game and the Athletics took advantage.
They scored four times before their fifth run was scored when a hard
hit by Riley Nelson bounced up and hit second baseman Ryan Myers in
the face. The run scored. Myers stayed in the game.
Baumholtz wasn’t happy with the start.
“I think part of it was it not being mentally prepared to go,” he
said. “We hit the first two guys and walk the next guy and then we
give up a few hits in the inning. We gave up five runs on two hits
in the first inning just by giving them free bases. I don’t care
what caliber of team you are, if you give guys free bases, they’re
going to score runs.”
Aside from the squad’s first inning collapse, the Tigers played
solidly the rest of the game. With Abby’s down 5-0 in the second,
Twenge doubled to center field to lead the inning off for the Tigers
before a single by Sturdevant. Evan Windsor delivered an RBI single
to right field before a sacrifice by Spencer Hales scored Mitchell
Sturdevant.
Down 5-2, the Tigers scored again in the sixth. Sturdevant led the
inning off with a double to right field before a Mid-Valley error
allowed Levi Fletcher to reach first, allowing Sturdevant to score.
The Tigers were unable to score again as Brett Case flied out to the
shortstop to end the game.
Abby’s outhit Vancouver (9-8) in the loss.
“From the second inning on, we played good baseball,” Baumholtz
said. “We were aggressive. We got guys thrown out, but being
aggressive is the way we do things. If we can pressure and get guys
on base and run, that’s been our ticket.”
The Tigers entered the game off Sunday’s 8-7 loss to the Mid-Valley
Rockets. Abby’s fell behind in the first inning after Mid-Valley’s
Brent Trask hit a two-run home run to left field off Sturdevant. The
Tigers bounced back in the second inning with five runs. After a run
scored, Taylor Burrows hit an RBI single to tie the game 2-2. Case
then hit a two-RBI single to center field before Twenge’s RBI single
to right field gave the Tigers a 5-2 lead.
The Rockets took the lead back in the fifth. After Mid-Valley’s Sam
Dodge hit an RBI single to bring the Rockets within 5-4, they scored
three more runs in the inning.
Twenge and Sturdevant both hit RBI singles in the sixth to pull the
Tigers within a run and they seemed poised to tie the game in the
seventh. After Fisher singled to lead the seventh inning off, Emmitt
Ackerlund’s bunt flied up and back to the pitcher who promptly threw
to first base for a double play. Tyler Church struck out to end the
game.
The Tigers opened the tournament Friday with a 13-2 loss to
Richey’s Market. Abby’s scored its two runs via an RBI apiece by
Mitchell Sturdevant and Ryan Myers before the game was called in the
fifth inning due to the 10-run rule.
The Tigers returned to action Saturday with a game against the
Redmond (Wash.) Blue Sox and won 9-5. Trent Boston pitched six
innings and earned the win before Linden Fisher pitched the final
inning for the Tigers. Boston struck out seven, gave up four hits,
hit four batters and issued three walks in the win. Fisher struck
out one, walked one and gave up two hits for Abby’s.
Case and Hales led the Tigers by going 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI.
Ryan Wilson was 2 for 3 with an RBI and Windsor was 1 for 2 with an
RBI.
“It was a great team win,” Baumholtz said. “We had guys hit the
ball and when you do that, you give yourself a chance to win.”
The Tigers return to action Thursday with a 6 p.m. league game at
Liberty High School in Hillsboro. After tournaments at Centennial
this weekend and Bend next weekend, the Tigers return to league
action for a game against winless Century to close out the league
portion of the team’s schedule. The league playoffs, which pits
teams in best-of-three series, opens July 18.
“Everything for us is building up to that league tournament right
now,” Baumholtz said. “But we’ve just got to continue to keep
battling. We’re right there ... so close. We’ve outhit our opponents
in five of our (past) six games.” |
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From
July 4, 2007, Newberg Graphic
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