Elks off to an exciting start to 25th season

The new summer squad of Elks celebrating their Opening Night win. (Sage Young)

Bend, OR - The Bend Elks started their 25th season style with an exciting 5-4 Opening Night Win over the Walla Walla Sweets Friday at Vince Genna Stadium.

Stuck in a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning, Ty Johnson smacked an RBI single to right, sending the crowd of 1,723 fans into a ruckus. 

It weight was then place on Simon Lemke’s shoulders to secure the Elks first victory of the 2024 season. The Bend native came through in clutch, recording the final three outs to seal the deal for his hometown squad.

Lemke (1-0) earned the first win of his Elks career, pitching five gutsy innings of relief with four strikeouts and just one earned run surrendered. The Mountain View High School alumnus, recorded two saves and 22 strikeouts to just 12 walks in 27.12 innings of work with the Elks last summer.

Walla Walla struck first in the top of third but Bend clocked right back on a two run rally ignited by Brett Ott who lead off the home half of the frame with a walk then stole back to back bases and scored on a one-run single from Vinny Salvione. Thus, Ott worked around all four bases in a matter of four pitches.

The Sweets got even the following bringing the game to a standstill until the sixth when the Elks strung together three straight hits highlighted by the only extra base hit of the night on a Luke Reece RBI double. Elks returner Ryan Christiansen added a sac fly afterward to put the Elks up by a pair. 

Even for the Walla Walla tying things up in the eighth on a two-run base hit by Joel Esparza, Johnson’s clutch knock in the bottom half of the frame delivered the dagger on Opening Night. 

Bend (1-0, 1-0) will look to entourage off of an exhilarating start to the summer and clinch their first series victory of the season tomorrow against Walla Walla at 6:35 p.m. at 6:35 at Vince Genna Stadium.

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