Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Legion can’t solve Dawgs righty, splits twinbill

Wood River (15-5) wins 11-1, behind Patterson


By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

Two of the best American Legion pitchers in the 2008 Area C "A" baseball ranks took turns dazzling the batters Tuesday during a league twinbill at Founders Field, Hailey.

Wood River righthander Pat Patterson continued to be nearly un-hittable in the first game of the doubleheader. Patterson (5-0) threw a three-hitter at the Upper Valley Dawgs and Wood River run-ruled the visitors 11-1 in just five innings.

Patterson's 11th consecutive complete-game pitching performance covering high school and Legion baseball since May 1 extended Wood River's winning streak to three games.

In the nightcap, Wood River (15-5, 12-4 league) had a tough time with the upper 80-miles-per-hour heat of righthander flame-thrower Jordan Hepworth of Upper Valley and the Dawgs (14-7, 9-3) came away with the twinbill split 9-3.

Hepworth (10 K) threw 121 pitches, 83 for strikes, and held Wood River at bay—although Hailey managed six hits against the Hepworth heat and stranded eight runners. Hepworth's catcher was Payden Hathaway of South Fremont.

Wood River and Upper Valley are two teams that should be in the thick of things when the league tournament is staged in Twin Falls starting July 24. Coach Matt Nelson's Hailey boys finished third in the State "A" Legion tournament in 2007, and Upper Valley is only two years removed from a 29-1 regular-season mark and state tournament berth in 2006.

This year's Upper Valley team coached by Chad Hill is a combination of South Fremont and Sugar-Salem players from the Idaho 3A ranks. Sugar-Salem (14-7) captured third place in May's State 3A tournament 7-4 over Payette, while South Fremont (18-3) edged Buhl 10-9 in the consolation final of the same tournament.

Lefty Justin Mackert was the winning pitcher in that South Fremont battle with Buhl, but Wood River sent Mackert to the showers in the third inning of Tuesday's Founders Field opener. Mackert (83 pitches, 8 BB in 2-plus innings) couldn't find the plate.

Wood River (10 hits) also capitalized on 12 free passes to score 11 runs—leadoff hitter Greg Wakefield (2 hits, 4 RBI), catcher Sean Bunce (3 hits, 2 RBI) and first baseman Bryan Bray (2 hits, 3 runs) doing much of the damage. Jimmy Hague (3 runs) and Keven Abbott (2 RBI) also contributed.

On the hill, Patterson (78 pitches, 3 hits, 4 K, 3 BB) was effective pitching on three day's rest after his 2-1 one-hit masterpiece against Marsh Falls at American Falls Friday.

Upper Valley's Hepworth was up to the task in Tuesday's nightcap. Hepworth had pitched Sugar-Salem into the state tournament with three innings of shutout relief in a 3-1 state play-in victory over Kimberly, then Hepworth shut down Payette 7-4 with a four-hitter in the third-place final.

He struck out the Wood River side twice Tuesday and gave up his only runs when shortstop Tyler Israel (2 hits) ripped a two-out, three-run triple in the fourth. Israel had a fine all-around day, making all the plays in the field as Hailey's rock-solid defense committed only one error in 12 innings.

Wakefield (4-for-6 all day) added two hits including a double in the nightcap. Hepworth (3 hits, 3 RBI) also produced at the Dawgs highlighted by a towering solo homer in the fourth. Upper Valley out hit Hailey 11-6. Trent Seamons (3-1) absorbed the pitching loss. Rob Morgus and Jake Freeman threw well in relief of Seamons.

Wood River plays at Burley Tuesday, July 1 at 4 p.m. and then enjoys another week off before hosting Idaho Falls Royals July 9 at Founders Field.

WOOD RIVER NOTES—Patterson (33-35 in 3 seasons as Wood River's HS and Legion ace) has now yielded only six earned runs in 33 innings this summer, and only 18 runs in 66 innings covering his 11 consecutive complete-game pitching efforts dating back to May 1. And six of those 18 earned runs came in the 7-6 loss to Minico May 17 in the State 4A consolation game at Nampa when Patterson was pitching with only one day's rest.




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