L.C. 12'S WIN DRAMATIC PITCHING DUEL
Conor Harber tossed a 2-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the sixth inning as the Lower Columbia Cal Ripken 12-year-old A All-Stars defeated Black Hills B 1-0 in the opening game of a tournament at Western Longview.
Harber struggled with command, walking six batters, but was able to make big pitches to get out of bases loaded jams in the second and fifth innings. Despite a pitch count over 100, the hard-throwing righthander took the mound in the bottom of the sixth and retired the side on just seven pitches, by far his easiest inning.
It was a well-played game by both teams as Lower Columbia outhit Black Hills 4-to-2 and each team committed two errors. Black Hills' second error was by far the costliest. With one out in the sixth inning, Harber blooped a single to right field, then took second on a passed ball. After pinch-hitter Nick Zimmerman struck out, Dylan Smith hit a ground ball to third which should have ended the inning, but the throw sailed over the head of Black Hills' first baseman, sending Harber to third and Smith to second base. With Bretten Medina at the plate, Black Hills' starting pitcher Preston DuPriest threw a pitch that bounced to the backstop, allowing the speedy Harber to slide home with the only run of the game.
DuPriest started on the mound and pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to Jesse Harris to start the third. Harris was impressive, allowing just one hit and striking out four over two innings. Black Hills' third pitcher, Nick Leatherwood ran into trouble in the fifth inning, walking the bases full with one out. DuPriest returned to the mound and got Ryan Tapio to line into a 6-5 double play to end the threat.
Harber was the only player in the game with two hits. Dylan Smith and Dylan Garcia had the other two Lower Columbia safeties. Black Hills' Jordan McGregor had the game's only extra-base hit, a bloop double down the left field line to lead off the fourth inning. McGregor went to third on a passed ball, but was left stranded as Harber got a strikeout, a comebacker to the mound and another strikeout to end the inning.
Lower Columbia takes on the Kennewick Americans at 3:00 p.m. today after the Americans play Black Hills B at 12:30 p.m.
Lower Columbia and Black Hills did not corner the market on first day dramatics. In a back and forth game, West Linn B got a home run in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game, then scored the go-ahead run to take an 8-7 lead against Central Longview. Longview loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning, but a force out at home, an infield fly and a ground out ended the threat. Black Hills A, one of several very good teams at this tournament, cruised past Western Longview B 10-0 in four innings in their opener.
Harber struggled with command, walking six batters, but was able to make big pitches to get out of bases loaded jams in the second and fifth innings. Despite a pitch count over 100, the hard-throwing righthander took the mound in the bottom of the sixth and retired the side on just seven pitches, by far his easiest inning.
It was a well-played game by both teams as Lower Columbia outhit Black Hills 4-to-2 and each team committed two errors. Black Hills' second error was by far the costliest. With one out in the sixth inning, Harber blooped a single to right field, then took second on a passed ball. After pinch-hitter Nick Zimmerman struck out, Dylan Smith hit a ground ball to third which should have ended the inning, but the throw sailed over the head of Black Hills' first baseman, sending Harber to third and Smith to second base. With Bretten Medina at the plate, Black Hills' starting pitcher Preston DuPriest threw a pitch that bounced to the backstop, allowing the speedy Harber to slide home with the only run of the game.
DuPriest started on the mound and pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to Jesse Harris to start the third. Harris was impressive, allowing just one hit and striking out four over two innings. Black Hills' third pitcher, Nick Leatherwood ran into trouble in the fifth inning, walking the bases full with one out. DuPriest returned to the mound and got Ryan Tapio to line into a 6-5 double play to end the threat.
Harber was the only player in the game with two hits. Dylan Smith and Dylan Garcia had the other two Lower Columbia safeties. Black Hills' Jordan McGregor had the game's only extra-base hit, a bloop double down the left field line to lead off the fourth inning. McGregor went to third on a passed ball, but was left stranded as Harber got a strikeout, a comebacker to the mound and another strikeout to end the inning.
Lower Columbia takes on the Kennewick Americans at 3:00 p.m. today after the Americans play Black Hills B at 12:30 p.m.
Lower Columbia and Black Hills did not corner the market on first day dramatics. In a back and forth game, West Linn B got a home run in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game, then scored the go-ahead run to take an 8-7 lead against Central Longview. Longview loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning, but a force out at home, an infield fly and a ground out ended the threat. Black Hills A, one of several very good teams at this tournament, cruised past Western Longview B 10-0 in four innings in their opener.
posted by Matt Richert at 6:33 AM
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