Riverdogs' bats heat up in Bitterroot

As baseball fans know, there are two basic functions to winning games: pitching and hitting.

Yes, there are other factors like errors and base running mistakes, even inclement weather, but if you hit well and pitch well chances are you will overcome the other factors most of the time.

That in essence sums up the four games played this past week by the Clark Fork Valley Riverdogs, who started the week with a blowout 12-3 road loss to the Kalispell Lakers Thursday evening. That loss squared the Dogs season record at 10-10.

In that loss to Kalispell, Clark Fork had seven hits to nine for the Lakers, but the key factors were shaky pitching and untimely errors.

Fortunately, for coach Jon Zigler and crew, errors and pitching can be corrected, as they showed in the second game of the Thursday double-header when they rebounded and earned a series split with a come-from-behind 7-6 win.

The key factor in the 7-6 win? Seventeen Riverdogs hits and just one error. This is the sign of a team that is learning how to win and raising eyebrows in western Montana Legion baseball in the process.

The dogs had grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning, then tacked on two more in the top of the second. Both teams were scoreless in the third inning, but the top of the fourth saw the Riverdogs add two more to their lead and go up 5-0.

However, Kalispell got to Clark Fork starting pitcher Nate Zigler, who gave up five runs on five hits before he was replaced by Garth Parker with one out in the bottom of the fourth.

Zigler, who has been a mainstay of the Riverdogs staff gave up some timely hits in the bottom of the fourth before Parker stepped in and put out the fire.

That unofficial “save” was the product of a 4.2 inning, 10 strikeout performance by Parker who gave up just one run in that stretch, and that run was not earned. It did, however, allow Kalispell to briefly reclaim the lead at 6-5 heading into the sixth inning.

Neither team scored in the sixth, but Clark Fork added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the score and take the lead.

Parker took complete control and held the Lakers scoreless over the last three innings of the game. Jack Taylor led the Riverdogs hit parade with a four-for-four performance that included a triple and a double. He got hitting support up and down the lineup, led by Kody Carter’s three-for-four, 2 RBI game.

Fresh off the encouraging come from behind win, the Riverdogs headed to Hamilton for a pair of games Saturday afternoon against the Bitterroot Red Sox. And their bats continued to smoke in both ends of the double dip as they swept the series 9-3 and 17-4 to boost their season mark to 12-9.

Clark Fork opened the two-game set with the Red Sox by falling behind 3-0 after three innings of play. And the two mainstays, pitching and hitting were front and center in both wins.

Against Bitterroot, pitcher Alessi Rolando went the distance allowing five hits in seven innings of work, while giving up just one earned run. And he got some big time help from the Riverdogs on offense as they erupted for seven runs in the top of inning number four, then added two more in the fifth to take a 9-3 lead. Along the way they collected 10 hits, led by Orion Plakke’s three-for-four, three RBI game at the plate. Outfield Tanner Day got one hit in four trips to the dish, but drove in two runs to aid the Clark Fork cause.

With that timely win in the bag and offensive momentum firmly in hand, the Riverdogs went immediately on the attack in the nightcap of the twin bill, pushing two runs home in the top of the first, then blasting away for five runs in the top of the second.

Kalispell got two of those runs back in the bottom of the third, and one more in the fifth and seventh innings but it was too little too late as the Riverdogs’ bats continued to smoke.

Clark Fork was ahead 9-3 after five innings of play. Neither team scored in the sixth but the Dogs showed the lumber was still hot in the top of the seventh when they blew the game open with eight runs.

Eli Ratliff was the leader of the bat attack with four RBIs on a two-for-five evening. Ratliff had a double and a triple in the game. He was joined by Plakke who had another solid performance at the plate, picking up three RBIs on a perfect four hits in four at bats during the game. The Dogs racked up 11 hits in all against the battered Red Sox pitching staff.

In the meantime, Ratliff threw two strong innings to open the game, giving up just one earned run on three hits while striking out two. He was relieved in the third inning by Bryson McCormick who surrendered three runs (only one of which was earned) while scattering four Bitterroot hits.

Clark Fork was to have played a double header against a team from Rathdrum, Idaho but the games were postponed due to heavy rain Sunday.

Next up for the Riverdogs is a single game in Missoula this Wednesday against the Impact, then another Friday double-header in Kalispell versus the Lakers.

The Dogs return home this Sunday with a pair of games against the Red Sox, beginning at 1 p.m.

Clark Fork also announced Sunday that it will host a triangular set of three games Saturday July 2nd, beginning with a 12 noon game versus Libby, then Libby against the North Idaho Lakers, and a 5 p.m. game between the Riverdogs and North Idaho.