Raptors completed the sweep of Edmonton this week at the RORC
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
The Ridgefield Raptors have to be feeling good as they hit the road Friday for the first time this baseball season.
Winning makes any road trip a lot easier.
The Raptors concluded a homestand that featured eight games in eight days at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex on Thursday.
The Raptors won on opening night — a non-league game to open the Columbia Cup competition with rival Cowlitz Black Bears — on June 1.
They opened West Coast League play with a three-game series against perennial power Corvallis, losing all three.
While things did not go their way on the scoreboard, the weekend series did provide more evidence of the community’s support for the Raptors. Gus Farah, the team’s general manager, said the three-game series broke attendance records for the franchise.
Ridgefield, and Clark County, are coming out to the ballpark.
The Raptors played another non-league game Monday, falling to the Redmond Dukes, then returned to WCL play on Tuesday.
That’s when the Raptors got on a roll.
Jake Tsukada and Julian Nunez each drew bases-loaded walks in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie and then win the game. Yes, a walk-off walk for the first WCL win of the year for the Raptors.
Pitchers Blake Hammond, Logan Saloman, and Nate Wenzel combined for a shutout Wednesday, leading the Raptors to a 6-0 victory. Saloman and Wenzel threw five hitless innings in relief.
Allen Allanson had a two-run single to highlight a three-run eighth inning for the Raptors on Thursday. Ridgefield would prevail 4-3.
The Raptors will be on the road this weekend, taking on the Walla Walla Sweets for a three-game series. And after playing 11 games in 11 days, the team will get its first off day on Monday. The Raptors play at the Portland Pickles during the week next week. They will return to the RORC for a series against Cowlitz on June 16.
Also read:
- Raptors make a trade, giving them a home game in Ridgefield to celebrate Independence Day
Clark County’s West Coast League baseball team traded home dates with Corvallis, giving Raptors a home game on the day that the city of Ridgefield holds its annual Fourth of July Celebration, combining the Independence Day with baseball. - Clark County Today Sports Podcast, July 3, 2024: What are the summer expectations for high school athletes and coaches?
The sports administrators and reporter Paul Valencia discuss the expectations of high school athletes and coaches during the summer months, plus we talk about our Fourth of July traditions. - Video: Children rally to Dash for Cash with the RaptorsThe annual Dash for Cash night, courtesy of iQ Credit Union, was a big success as children from Clark County got to sprint on the Ridgefield Raptors baseball field, looking for cash that was scattered throughout the outfield.
- New football coach: Prairie graduate Junior Miller prepared for job at PrairieJunior Miller is one of several new head football coaches at Southwest Washington high schools, and the 2002 Prairie High School graduate said he is excited to bring a new vibe to his old school.
- Curt Daniels Invitational baseball tournament starts Wednesday, June 26The Clark County baseball community invites baseball standouts from all over the Northwest every summer for a tournament to honor the memory of a teacher and a coach at the Curt Daniels Invitational.
