Elks trample Nighthawks in fun night at Genna

Tucker Grote highlighted the night filled with several hits from Elks pitchers. (Sage Young)

Bend, OR - Bend had a scoring palooza Saturday night, routing the Northwest Star Nighthawks 19-0 in their first nonleague series win at Vince Genna Stadium.

The Elks destroyed the Nighthawks, who never took flight.

Bend’s bats went ballistic, scoring multiple runs in all but three innings, topped off by a seven-run seventh-inning rally that put the icing on the cake.

The Elks gave several pitcher-only players a chance to prove what they got at the plate, and they did not disappoint.

PO phenom Tucker Grote got the party started with some power on an opposite-field wall-banger two-RBI double that sent the dugout into a ruckus.

Later on, Reid Madariaga mustered an RBI walk while Bend native Simon Lemke capped off the celebration with his first hit as an Elk.

This very well may be these players first and final collegiate at-bats, and the memories will last a long time.

That’s what Saturday night was all about. Players play baseball because the game is fun.

Look at Brett Ott for example, who had been an eight game hitting drought entering the series. He had not one but two hits and scored four runs.

Brian Duroff who had been waiting to break out in Bend finally did so with a season-high four hits and five RBI.

Easton Amundson, who was a hitting wonder in Wenatchee a summer ago, is finally unleashing the strength in his swing, racking up two RBI doubles, extending his hit streak to five in a row.

All of these and many other players got the boost of confidence they needed in this non league series that they will need to going into a big road matchup against the Bellingham Bells.

But before Bend goes up to Bellingham, the Elks will look to end their set against the Nighthawks with a bang Sunday at Vince Genna Stadium. The first pitch is set for 6:05, with a full fireworks show following the game. Get your tickets now before they sell out!

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