Rifle baseball wins wood bat championship in Pocatello, Idaho
Ray K. Erku/Post Independent
Rifle High School summer baseball nabbed a championship win last week at a 16-team wooden bat tournament in Pocatello, Idaho.
Head coach Troy Phillips said the Bears, made up of varsity and junior varsity players from the spring, went 6-0 in the Razorbacks/Rebels Wood Bat Classic held June 15-18. The tournament featured teams from Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.
The Bears nabbed the championship title by beating Marsh Valley of Arimo, Idaho, by a score of 4-2. Marsh Valley is a two-time defending state American Legion A champion, Phillips said.
The game featured strong pitching and defense as a number of great defensive plays were made throughout the game by both teams. Easton Phillips picked up his third pitching victory of the tournament with five solid innings, not giving up a hit until the fourth inning and giving up no earned runs. Kade Street picked up the save, striking out three batters in the sixth inning, including two with the bases loaded. He picked up another strikeout in the seventh inning, his second scoreless inning in relief.
Street also smacked two solid singles with an RBI. Connor Abbott had two singles with an RBI. Logan Gross hit a triple and scored a go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Gavin Peterson had two RBI singles.
“It was an incredible game to witness with some outstanding defense from both teams,” Phillips said. “I am so proud of what these players did during the six games they played in this tournament. They are a special group, and this trip and tournament will be something they will always remember.”
Team members that made the trip included graduated seniors Trey Caldwell, Broc Caldwell, Gavin Peterson, Charlie Hisel and Easton Phillips; juniors Kade Street, Connor Abbott and Ryan Thomas; sophomores Logan Gross, Michael Slappey and Charlie Sprenger; and freshmen Josh Wright and Robbie Magnuson.
The Bears will have a number of games this week with single games against Battle Mountain on Tuesday and Thursday and a doubleheader against Delta on Saturday. Rifle then finishes its season with a single game at Fruita on June 27 followed by the Austin Booth Memorial Wood Bat Tournament in Rifle from June 29 to July 2.
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