RIDGEFIELD CATCHER Jarrett Brown applies the tag on Woodland’s Cooper Lucas, who was trying to slide into home during action Friday at Ridgefield High School. Woodland topped the Spudders 6-2 in Class 2A Greater St. Helens League action.
MICHAEL MARTIN (3) has been Ridgefield’s go-to pitcher this season. He is shown here in action on Friday, when he held league-leading Woodland to two runs over five innings. The Beavers prevailed with a 6-2 win over the Spudders.
RIDGEFIELD SENIOR Jarrett Brown is the Spudders’ cleanup hitter and catcher, where he serves as the team’s defensive captain.
RIDGEFIELD – There’s quite a race brewing in the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League this season, where the league’s seven baseball teams are battling for four playoff spots, and the Ridgefield Spudders find themselves right in the thick of it.
Despite a tough week in which the Spudders went 1-3, Ridgefield headed into the final four games of the GSHL season with a 4-4 league record (9-6 overall), which ties the Spudders for third place with Hockinson, R.A. Long and Mark Morris.
Woodland sits atop the league standings with a 5-2 record after a 6-2 win at Ridgefield on Friday. Hudson’s Bay was second heading into this week with a 5-2 record. Washougal was on the bottom of the league standings with a 2-6 league record.
“It’s crazy but it’s a lot of fun to be honest with you,’’ said Ridgefield coach Nick Allen, in his second season guiding the Spudders’ program. “Every game is competitive. You have to bring it every day. You can’t take a day off.’’
Allen came to Ridgefield from Tucson, AZ, where he was a head coach at two separate high schools over a 10-year span. The Stanwood-native and Western Washington University graduate led the Spudders to a 7-12 overall record last season, including a 2-10 mark in league play.
This year has been a different story for Ridgefield.
“Our senior class has done a really good job of bringing the team together and keeping them tight,’’ Allen said. “They do a good job of playing the game at an even intensity level, keeping everyone focused during the ups and downs of the game. Last year, we were pretty competitive but those mistakes happened – errors or strikeouts – we didn’t respond very well. This year, we’ve done a very good job of responding the right way.’’
Ridgefield’s senior class includes center fielder Grant Mersinger, who also does some pitching for the Spudders. Mersinger has a .370 batting average this season with 14 runs batted in (RBI) and 12 stolen bases.
“He’s been one of our leaders,’’ Allen said. “He can really run. He’s been a good spark for us.’’
Mersinger’s spark helped Ridgefield register a come-from-behind 6-5 win over Washougal on April 21. The senior dropped a bloop into the outfield, which turned into a double. He then stole third base, igniting a three-run rally. The Spudders won the game when Michael Martin hit a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“There was some drama there,’’ said Allen, of the comeback win.
Senior Jarrett Brown is the Spudders’ catcher and cleanup hitter. He’s hitting .293 with seven RBI this season.
“He’s just a really consistent baseball player,’’ Allen said of Brown. “You can always count on the kid to give you a quality at bat. He’s a real smart player, a captain-quarterback guy behind the plate. He does a good job commanding out defense. His experience shows on the field.’’
Junior Brian Gillenwater is Ridgefield’s shortstop and he’s hitting .420 with five doubles, two triples and two home runs this season.
“He’s been our stump in the middle of the lineup, hitting in the three hole and playing shortstop,’’ Allen said of Gillenwater. “He’s a pretty good baseball player, a great athlete that covers a lot of ground.’’
When he’s not hitting game-winning home runs, Michael Martin can often be found on the pitching mound for the Spudders. The junior has a 1-1 record and has posted 20 strikeouts in 22 innings. He held league-leading Woodland to two runs over five innings in Friday’s loss.
“He’s been our go-to guy and has pitched in some big games,’’ Allen said of Martin, who has a .381 batting average with nine RBI and two home runs this season.
Junior Curtis Strader has also thrown a lot of big innings for the Spudders this season. Strader has a 5-3 record with 22 strikeouts in 26 innings.
Freshman Jeremy Martin has taken over the second base job for Ridgefield and he’s hitting .452 (eight RBI) with a .617 on-base percentage, the product of 14 hits and 13 walks this season. He’s also chipped in with some pitching duties, registering two saves and allowing just one earned run this season.
Ridgefield was scheduled to play at Washougal on Monday and at Hockinson Wed., April 29 before closing out the league scheduled with home games against Hudson’s Bay (Fri., May 1) and R.A. Long (Wed., May 6).
“We’ve got to get the bats going again,’’ Allen said. “We’re a pretty dangerous offensive team. If we keep pitching the way we have been we just need to swing the bats and come up with some clutch hits here and there.’’
