Cowlitz flexes muscle in 9-3 win over Ridgefield

RIDGEFIELD – The Black Bears showed their brawn.

Four previous games this summer between the Ridgefield Raptors and Cowlitz were close. The average margin of victory between the Southwest Washington rivals was just two runs.

But a lopsided game finally arrived in the Columbia River Cup series. Tuesday, Cowlitz dominated all facets of a 9-3 win at Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.

Cowlitz outslugged Ridgefield, knocking three home runs, tallying 11 hits and scoring in six innings.

Cowlitz outpitched Ridgefield, holding the West Coast League’s highest scoring team to just four hits.

And Cowlitz was better on defense, turning three double plays while Ridgefield made three errors in the first of a three-game series.

Ridgefield, which averages a league-high 6.7 runs per game, could only muster a three-run home run by Brady Kasper in the seventh inning.

“It’s a tough loss, but we’ve got to come out here and win the next two,” Kasper said. “We came out a little flat tonight. We can’t let that happen the rest of the series.”

Ridgefield (23-17, 10-6 second half) and Cowlitz (20-20, 10-6) are both three games behind South Division leader Corvallis with eight games to play.

The Raptors remain tied with the Portland Pickles for the division’s second-best overall record, which gets a postseason berth if first-half champ Corvallis also wins the second half.

“We’ve just got to come out, try to win every game and not worry about what they’re doing,” Kasper said of the race with the Pickles. “We’ve got to play our game.”

Three moments

Fine at No. 9 – Hitting at the bottom of the order, Matthew Schwarz sparked the Cowlitz offense with a solo home run to lead off the third inning. Jacob Stinson added an RBI double in the inning, giving the Black Bears a 2-0 lead.

Triple double – Cowlitz scored two runs in three consecutive innings. In the fifth, Jacob Burley lashed a two-out single to center to drive in a run. A second run scored on the play via throwing error, giving the Black Bears a 6-0 lead.

Rally killers – Ridgefield got two runners on by walks in both the fourth and fifth innings. But Cowlitz ended both threats with 4-6-3 double plays.

Three players

Carter Sutton – The former Union High pitcher put out a fire for Cowlitz in the fourth. Black Bears starter James Bradwell was relieved after walking the first two hitters. But Sutton got a double play and a strikeout to end the threat.

Ryan Harvey – The Raptors starting pitcher entered Tuesday with a 1.68 earned run average and hadn’t allowed more than one earned run in each of his last four starts. But the UC Santa Barbara hurler allowed six hits and three walks in four innings. Only two of the four runs he allowed were earned.

Brady Kasper – The left fielder from Oregon State, who entered Tuesday hitting .130, launched a high blast that cleared the Cowlitz bullpen in right field for his first home run of the West Coast League season. “I’m seeing the ball a little better,” Kasper said. “I just need to put a good swing on it, not try to hard and let my athleticism take over.”

Three numbers

3-2 – Cowlitz’s lead in the Columbia River Cup, which goes to the winner of the season series between the teams.

6 – Ridgefield baserunners to reach in innings four through six, without the benefit of a hit. None scored.

All 9 – Hitters in Cowlitz’s starting lineup who had a base hit.

COWLITZ 9, RIDGEFIELD 3

Cowlitz 002 220 111—9 11 1

Ridgefield 000 000 300—3 4 3

Cowlitz

Pitching – James Bradwell 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, 2 BB; Carter Sutton 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, 0 BB; Keegan Wright 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K, 3 BB; Jake Dent 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 K, 2 BB; Liam Hatakenaka 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, 1 BB; Dale Takalo 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K, 0 BB. Highlights – Rikuu Nishida 1-3, R, SB; Brock Bozett 1-2, R, RBI; Jacob Stinson 2-5, RBI, 2B; Sam Brown 1-4, RBI; Broc Mortensen 1-4, 2 R, RBI, HR; Kase Ogata 1-5, 2 R, RBI, HR; Johnny Radomskiy 1-5, 2 R; Jacob Burley 1-5, RBI; Matthew Schwarz 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2B.

Ridgefield

Pitching – Ryan Harvey 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 K, 3 BB; Jett Lodes 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB; Thomas Blahous 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 K, 1 BB; Byron Clack 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 K, 0 BB; Parker Goin 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB. Highlights – Wade Meckler 1-3; Grant Heiser 1-1; Doyle Kane 1-3, R; Brady Kasper 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR.