Elks Come Through in Crunch Time to Complete Series Win over Springfield

Ryan Rembisz kept the Drifters off the scoreboard to give the Elks’ offense a chance late. (Andrew Green).

Springfield, OR. - The Bend Elks came through when it mattered most with two runs in the top of the ninth and six shutout innings on the mound to evaporate a three-run deficit to earn a 4-3 series win over the first-placed Springfield Drifters.

Trailing 3-2 going into the top of the ninth with the bottom of the order due up, things looked bleak for the Elks. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Bend found a way to win. Luca Dipaolo, who was 0-4 with two K's, stayed the course, found his pitch, and let it ride on a solo blast to left center field to even the game up at three.

Maddox Malony, a Thurston High School graduate, followed with his second double of the night to put the leading run in scoring position with his whole family cheering him and his team on outside the Bend dugout. The Elks leadoff leader Elijah Jackson kept the late-game magic going, breaking through on a one-run double to score Malony, giving Bend the lead.

It came down to the Elks' defense to close out the game. After a rough start from Kellan Oaks, who gave up three earned runs and four hits, Ryan Rembisz shut down the Drifters lineup, retiring 16 of the 18 batters he faced prior to the ninth inning. The lone exception was Cole Kleckner, who had two hits off Rembisz as well as Kellan Oaks making for a stellar 4-4 performance.

After future Oregon State Beaver Dawson Santana reached on a costly error by Steven Meier on a routine fly ball in right field, Rembisz found himself with the tall task of having to take down Kleckner for the first time for the final out of the game. With Santana in scoring position and two outs, Rembisz got Kleckner to cough up a ground ball to Tyler Peterson, and the rest was history.

Rembisz (1-0) earned his first win of the summer, pitching six scoreless innings with four strikeouts and just two hits surrendered. Elks Pitching has struck out a total of 45 batters over the past four games while being countered by just ten walks.

Bend (10-8, 7-7) gets back to .500 in West Coast League play and will look to keep climbing the divisional ranks Thursday in the series finale against Springfield starting at 6:35 p.m. at Hamlin Sports Complex.