Thursday, July 10, Ridgefield, Wash. – Ridgefield snapped the Knights 10-game winning streak by salvaging the finale of their South Division series 4-2 at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.
The Knights (25-11 all, 22-11 WCL, 5-1 second half) had not lost June 25 at Yakima Valley. The Raptors also ended their lengthy losing streak to the Knights, who they had not defeated since Aug. 5, 2023, a span covering 12 regular-season and two playoff games.
Ridgefield took a 3-0 first-inning lead and this time the Knights left seven runners on base and could not erase the deficit. They trailed 7-0 and 1-0 in the first two games of the series before rallying to win.
Blake Wilson (Washington, pictured above) doubled and singled and Maverek Russell (UCLA) had two singles and an RBI to pace the offense.
Corvallis drew within 3-1 in the fourth on a bases-loaded single by Brooks Avery (LBCC) but a baserunning gaffe on the play ended the inning prematurely.
Ridgefield scored in the fifth to make it 4-1, but Russell’s two-out RBI single in the sixth got the Knights within 4-2.
Knights starter Chase Olson (Nebraska) gave up a three-run homer in the first but then settle down to blank the Raptors on no hits over the next three innings before being relieved to start the fifth. Olson struck out two.
Chance Wallace (Pacific) pitched one scoreless inning, Mac Zawistoski (Chaminade) two to keep the Knights within striking distance. Zawistoski struck out three and has not allowed an earned run in his last 10.1 innings over six appearances.
The Knights conclude their current road trip at Walla Walla on July 11-13. Their scheduled starting pitchers are J’Shawn Unger of Iowa Western CC (3-0, 3.50: Trey Newmann of Portland (2-0, 6.30) and Zach Johnson of Linfield (1-1, 4.09).
The next home game for the Knights is the July 15 non-conference matchup with the Corvallis Gerding Construction American Legion team.
The WCL All-Star Game at Bellingham follows on July 16. Infielder Mason Riske (USC), pitcher J’Shawn Unger (Iowa Western CC), center fielder Brock Ketelsen (Stanford) and catcher Xavier Rios (CSUN) will represent the Knights on the South Division squad.