Cowlitz heads South to play the Bend Elks for the first time this season. You can listen live at cowlitzblackbears.com and scroll down to the listen live button. Tuesday – Thursday at 6:30 for the mid-week series. Just the one stop for the Black Bears before they return home for a 5-game homestand starting Friday night against the NW Star Nighthawks in two non-league matchups before hosting Bellingham.
Cowlitz and Bend played six games against one another last season. They split the season series with the away team taking both. This season, Cowlitz enters one game ahead of Bend in the South Division. The Elks just finished a series last night (7/9) in Portland. The Elks won the series taking game 1, 5-3 and game 2, 8-2. Game 3 went to the Pickles 4-2.
The Black Bears just finished a series at home against the talented Corvallis Knights. In game 1, Jaron DeBerry tossed a complete game shutout. The first one since 2016 for the Black Bears. DeBerry threw just 84 pitches and allowed 2 hits through 9 innings of work. The offense backed him up with a homerun from Ely Kennel (1) as the Black Bears won 5-0.
In game 2, it was all Corvallis. It started with a 3-run third inning and the Knights offense looked like a completely different team than on Friday night. All but one hitter in the line-up for Corvallis had hits and scored at least one run.
With the series on the line, the Black Bears gave the nod to Spencer Seid (UC San Diego). After a 1, 2, 3 top of the first inning, the Black Bears offense went to work for the first time. LeTrey McCollum extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a two-out double. Ethan Mann proceeded to hit an RBI single to drive in McCollum. Seid threw 5 scoreless while giving up just two hits and one walk. Will Woodward threw a perfect 6th inning. It then moved to Lyndon Glidewell who put up a zero with four batters faced. Kyle Ethridge retired the side in order in the 8th as Cowlitz was holding on to a slim, 1-0 lead. It was the top of the 9th and Jack Meek was able to close the door on Corvallis and win the series with a 1-0 game 3 win. It was the 4th shutout win for the Black Bears pitching staff in their last 6 games played. The one run in the bottom of the 1st inning was the difference as the Knights and Bears split their six-game season series with the home team winning both of the rubber games.
The pitching looks to keep going strong as they head to Bend to play an Elks team that has been playing good baseball. The Elks have gone 6-4 in their last ten games. Bend and Cowlitz will play again in Longview for the final regular season matchup August 4th, 5th and 6th.
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