Drifters Lose Series Opener in Ridgefield 15-5
(Photo by Isaac Abrego)
By Henry Light
RIDGEFIELD, Wash. — The Drifters’ struggles on the mound left the lineup grasping all the highlights for the second straight game in a 15-5 series-opening loss to Ridgefield.
Nolan Miller’s first West Coast League home run in his third summer with the Drifters (6-16, 3-10) headlined an otherwise forgettable night in Ridgefield (18-7, 12-4). While the pitching staff remains in desperate need of outs, the lineup continues putting up numbers that could be competitive should it find them.
“Offensively, we had some good swings. We hit some balls hard. Nolan Miller was phenomenal at the plate, Kahaku Harrison came around and had some really good swings today — We saw some positive things on the offensive side, but just too many free bases to overcome,” Drifters Head Coach Jeff Lyle said.
Miller gave the Drifters a first-inning lead, turning on a first-pitch inside fastball for a two-run homer thanks to a Hunter Meyer walk with two outs that extended the inning.
“He, of all people, earned that,” Lyle said. “That's not his game necessarily. That's not what he's trying to do, but he's definitely got it in him, and he hit some balls really hard today. He had two or three balls hit hard enough to get out, but just didn't elevate all of them.”
Oregon right-hander Cooper Strawn faced an early jam in his second start as a Drifter, placing runners on first and second via a walk and a single. Strawn bounced back to record consecutive looking strikeouts, but allowed a run on a wild pitch before he finished striking out the side.
Strawn’s command waned in the second inning, and Ridgefield second baseman Jackson Weber took advantage of a leadoff walk by stealing second, advancing on a wild pitch and scoring on a groundout to tie the game. The Raptors’ go-ahead run came in on a groundout to Miller at first base, after which two runners lingered near third base before one broke for home and beat Miller’s one-hop throw.
Miller keyed another Drifters run in the third inning, taking a low breaking ball the opposite way to put runners on second and third. That allowed Malosi Mata’afa Alferos to tie the game with a groundout.
“(Mata’afa Alferos) is electric out there,” Lyle said. “We're waiting for him to get his timing going, and I'm trying to stay away from any results and not get him pressing, but there's a bright future with him.”
Ridgefield catcher Braden Watson emphatically took back the lead in the bottom of the inning, hitting a curveball from Cade Shumard off the scoreboard in left field for a three-run homer to put the Raptors ahead 6-3.
Hawai’i Pacific right-hander Tristan Jennings couldn’t stop the Raptors onslaught after taking over for Shumard, with Ridgefield taking a 10-3 lead on a single and a three-run home run.
Ridgefield continued to benefit from the Drifters’ lack of control on the mound in the fourth inning, pushing across four runs on a hit-by-pitch and three walks.
The Drifters’ comeback effort never gained momentum, with Aiden Gebhard scoring on a balk in the seventh inning and Miller’s third hit of the game resulting in his second run when Harrison doubled in the ninth.
“Seeing (Harrison) really work the process, and hearing some of the things that he's talking about, and some adjustments that he's trying to make, it's really great,” Lyle said. “We're trying to throw the results out the window and have a process and watch these kids develop.”
Incoming San Diego Mesa freshman Jake Fritz saved Springfield’s bullpen by soaking up the last two innings, picking up four strikeouts along the way. Frits left a changeup over the plate for Watson’s second home run in the eighth inning, but recovered to complete the relief effort.
“I think he threw one bad pitch — he gave up a home run on a changeup — but other than that, he was electric,” Lyle said. “It was nice to see a kid who hasn't touched the field in college yet go out and have some moxie, and he kind of changed the tone for us.”
First pitch for the second game in Ridgefield is set for 6:35 p.m. tomorrow. The game will be streamed for free on the Raptors’ YouTube channel.