Elks Extra Inning Hangover Costs Chance at Springfield Sweep.
Bend got four lead-off hits in four different innings but only produced one run off of them, capturing the essence of a sluggish loss to Springfield. (Andrew Green)
Bend, OR. - The Bend Elks' fatigue from their fourteen-inning marathon in the series opener carried over into game two Wednesday as the Elks went scoreless through the first six innings and failed to muster a rally late, falling 6-4 to the Springfield Drifters.
Springfield Starter Cole Calnon (2-1) picked Bend apart through the first six innings, giving up just four hits while retiring 14 of the 18 batters he faced through that span. The Lane CC veteran would only go another inning and a third giving up two earned runs to the Elks, ending the chance at a complete game for the two-way standout, who also went one for three at the plate. Calnon finished with a line of 7.1 IP giving up two earned runs with no walks, complemented by six strikeouts.
The Elks started to pick up on Calnon in the seventh when Wilson Weber smashed an opposite-field leadoff triple before being brought home on an RBI single by Ryan Christiansen to get the Elks on the scoreboard. Bend then made things interesting in the eighth, rallying for three runs on a one-out RBI base knock by Luca Dipaolo and another Weber extra-base hit, this time a two-run double to pull Bend within two. Unfortunately, the Elks' rally cry fell short as they couldn't carry their momentum into the ninth, spoiling Bend's chances at back-to-back walk-offs.
The loss keeps Bend's playoff hopes at the mercy of the Portland Pickles, who are three games up on the Elks in the WCL overall standings. With just four games left, Bend will need to win both the Springfield series and Cowlitz set while hoping that Portland gets swept by Corvallis and loses its final series of the season on the road against Walla Walla.
Springfield held control from the early stages of the game. The party got rolling on a Cade Crist two-out, two-run double in the first and an RBI single by Drew Johnson in the third to help the Drifters drift along to a 3-0 advantage. After being shut out by the Bend bullpen over the next four innings, Springfield relit its fuse in the eighth, posting a crooked trio thanks to a two-RBI double by Crist, who would later score on a wild pitch from Jackson Peters. The local product out of Bushnell University was responsible for four of Springfield's runs, going two for four with four RBI.
Tyler Peterson, Christiansen, and Weber all had a pair of hits, with Weber's being the most significant, representing the only two extra-base hits for the Elks.
Bend and Springfield will square off in a rubber match Thursday at 6:35 p.m. as the Elks hope to end their final game at Vince Genna Stadium this summer on a high note.
