The Columbia River Rapids and Ridgefield Spudders baseball teams extended their stays at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex prior to spring break with a 16-inning game.
A bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Ridgefield’s Colton Warren brought a close to the tortoise of a baseball game in which the Spudders won 4-3 on Friday, March 29.
Ridgefield played as both the hare and the tortoise by jumping to an early 3-0 lead by the fourth inning. The Rapids tied the game in the sixth. Ridgefield had a chance in the bottom of the second extra inning with a sacrifice bunt advancing runners to second and third bases, followed by another bunt, but a close fielder’s choice got the runner out at home plate.
In 16 innings, two full high school length games and some change all in one, both teams committed zero errors, a rare feat, even for a normal length game.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” Spudders head coach Nick Allen said. “That was quintessential high school baseball: both teams playing their butts off and executing. I mean, the defense, the way both teams defenses played and kept that thing where it was, and pitchers, you know, just scrapped and threw strikes, and hitters didn’t make very good adjustments but the pitching and defense played today. It was an incredible high school baseball game.”
After Ridgefield’s Rocco Wright threw six innings on five hits, giving up three earned runs on two strikeouts and two walks, Deven Savella came in for what was probably meant to be a couple of innings of relief at most with the tied game at 3, but he threw for seven more innings. Savella gave up three hits and no runs on six strikeouts and just one walk. Savella threw 78 pitches in his seven innings on the mound. After the two pitchers combined for 13 innings in one game, Landon DeBeaumont earned the win with three innings allowing two hits, no runs and three strikeouts with one walk.
In the 15th inning, both squads left runners on third base with Ridgefield leaving the bases loaded.
With the bases loaded in the 16th inning, Warren drove in Savella with a sacrifice fly. The excitement and relief that ensued next was felt by all who witnessed the lengthy outing.
The Spudders have spring break off and are slated to return to play against Washougal at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8, at home.
