Elks pitching staff gives up 5 hits, win first ever meeting against Victoria Harbourcats 5-1
June 22, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Bend Elks News Release
Bend, OR - In the first ever meeting between Victoria (8-4) and Bend (12-4), the Elks got tremendous pitching performances from Hunter Raley and Eric Melbostad, who combined to go 8 innings, giving up 1 run on 5 hits and struck out 11 to give the Elks more than enough on the mound to earn the 5-1 win Friday.
Offensively for the Elks, it was Turner Gill who did most of the damage on the night as he went 1-4 with a 2 run double in the top of the first, scoring Seth Spivey, who led off the game with a double, as well as Keach Ballard, giving the Elks a 2-0 lead. The lead was extended to 3-0 by Curtis Wildung's RBI groundout in the 1st, giving Bend an early 3-0 lead.
That would be more than enough for Hunter Raley, the Elks starter on the night from Murray State College. Raley got the start and went 4 innings, giving up just 1 hit in his four innings of work, walking three and striking out 5. Raley has yet to surrender a run in 2013 for Bend through 8 innings of work.
The Elks scored a run in the top of the 5th as Keach Ballard came into score on the Sacrifice fly from Gill, his 3rd RBI of the night, putting Bend up 4-0.
Victoria answered in the bottom of the 5th, their only run of the game as the Harbourcats had 3 hits with two outs, the final one off the bat of Alex Degoti to score Timmy Richards before Justin Burba was thrown out at 3rd base by Elk center fielder Chase Fields to end the inning.
Adam Grantham doubled in the top of the 6th and scored on the RBI single from Fields, who went 2-4 on the night, to tally the 5-1 total. Nick Highberger pitched a scoreless 9th in a non-save situation.
Dixon, Landon Cray, and Fields each had 2 hits for the Elks as the team had 12 hits on the night, and more impressively, struck out just one time at the plate against the Harbourcats.
Bend improved to 8-2 on the road so far in 2013, who had just 7 wins on the road in all of 2012.
The Elks will be back at it Saturday as they look for a 5 game winning streak on Saturday in game 2 of the 3 game series against the Harbourcats, first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm.
West Coast League Stories from June 22, 2013
- Walla Walla Wins Opener in Rogues' First Trip to Borleske - Walla Walla Sweets
- Gems Daze Knights on Late Run in 12th Inning Win 3-2 - Klamath Falls Gems
- Elks pitching staff gives up 5 hits, win first ever meeting against Victoria Harbourcats 5-1 - Bend Elks
- Bells Walk-Off with Win over Kelowna Falcons - Bellingham Bells
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