Bend Elks 3, Bellingham Bells 2 (13 innings)
Another West Coast League game, and extra innings. CF Lucas Hileman (Baylor) came home on a wild pitch by Mitch Ludtke (Skagit Valley CC) to provide the winning run in the top of the 13th.
Both teams got excellent efforts from their starters, although they were long gone before it was over. Bend’s Peter Lavin (San Francisco) allowed eight hits over eight innings, and Bellingham’s Tyrell Poggemeyer (Skagit Valley CC, transferring to Lewis-Clark State) allowed five hits over seven innings. After giving up runs in the first two innings on RBI single by RF Cal Towey (Baylor) and 2B Colin Stock (Saint Mary’s) coming in on a double steal, Poggemeyer retired 17 of the next 18 batters he faced.
The Bells got both of their runs in the first inning, on a sacrifice fly by LF Patrick Claussen (Washington State) and an RBI single by RF Danny Hennigs (Olympic CC). The Bells left the bases loaded in the fourth, eighth, and tenth innings.
Poggemeyer was replaced by Garrett DeRooy (Washington State), who pitched a perfect inning. Seth Harvey then put in an excellent relief appearance, allowing one hit in three innings, striking out three. Lavin was succeeded by Greg Gelber (Cal Lutheran) and Jason Wilson (Chemekata CC); Geller allowed three hits over 2 1/3 innings, and Wilson allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings.
Harvey was replaced by Brandon Foster (Texas Tech) in the 12th, and the Elks went three up, three down. After getting a ground out to start the 13th, Foster gave up a hit to Hileman, walked a batter, and gave up a hit to SS Tommy Richards (Washington State). Ludtke came in with one out and the bases loaded, and threw a very high pitch that allowed Hileman to score.
Ludtke did well to get out of the inning with only one run scored, and the Bells nearly pulled it out in the bottom of the 13th. They sent in Kevin Whitehead (Texas Tech) to pinch-hit, and he got a hit with one out. He moved to second on an infield hit by 3B Chris Amezquita (UCLA), and both Whitehead and Amezquita moved into scoring position with two out when Jacob Clem (Washington), who moved from LF to the mound to close it, threw a wild pitch. The next batter, C Mike Chiarelli (Oregon State), grounded out to end the game, but it was a close play at first. Wilson got the win, Clem got a save, and Foster got the loss. Attendance: 759.
The Bells play their home games at Joe Martin Stadium, which was a minor league facility when Bellingham had a team in the Class A Northwest League through 1996. Beer is sold in this ball park, and there’s a picnic area down the left-field line. The Bells have radio coverage on KBAI AM 930. The center field fence is only 380 feet from home plate, but with the wind blowing in from center field, the short fence was definitely not a factor this evening. The Bells are owned by Bobby Brett, the brother of George Brett. The Brett family owns several sports teams. Bobby’s son, Beau (USC), came in to play first base in the third inning after starter Mark Purser (Spokane Falls CC) was picked off first base.
Baylor Head Coach Steve Smith was present to watch Hileman and Towey.
