Madras extended their losing streak to five on Friday, dropping them down to 8-15. They came up short against The Dalles Riverhawks, falling 13-7. Unfortunately, that's the third time they've come up short against the Riverhawks this season, with their most recent defeat being a 8-7 loss back in April.
Wyatt Sklenar was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Shank, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
As for The Dalles, the victory snapped their losing streak at four games and leaves them with a 13-10 record. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for they considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
On The Dalles' side, Evan Ortega made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off eight hits. Ortega has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. He has become a key player for The Dalles: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 8-10 otherwise.
In other batting news, The Dalles let Joel Ortega and Hunter Bustos run wild. Ortega went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Bustos went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two hits gave Ortega a new career-high. Kale Beardmore was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Looking ahead, Madras will take on Molalla at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. The Indians' pitching crew has only allowed 3.1 runs per game this season, so the White Buffalos' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for The Dalles, they will face off against Gladstone at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
