Conner Alva battled three Glo-Valve Service Dodger pitchers and came out even as the Rotary Club Phillies tied the league-leaders 9-9 Thursday in the Pampa Optimist 11-12 Cal Ripken League.
Alva threw 107 pitches striking out 14 and walking two. He was touched for seven hits. Carter McLaughlin, Easton Willis and and Hagan Hudson pitched for Go-Valve. Glo-Valve opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with four runs on a single by Willis, a walk to Hudson, an intentional walk to McLaughlin, a triple by David Buendia and a groundout RBI by Jace Ruiz.
Rotary answered in the top of the third on walks to Jason Cambern, Wesley Douglas, Tyler Collier, Colton Rose and Nathan Alderete, with hits interspersed by Antawn Wright, Alva, Cache Kidwell and Cambern with Wright’s and Kidwell’s hits being doubles. Rotary had a 7-4 lead.
Glo-Valve got two of the runs back in the bottom of the inning. Willis and McLaughlin walked. Willis scored on a single by Buendia. McLaughlin came in on a wild pitch.
Rotary stretched its lead to 9-6 in the top of the fourth. Claassen, Collier and Rose drew walks. Kidwell reached base on an interference call. Alderete was hit by a pitch. Willis started a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth for Glo-Valve with a single. Hudson followed with a triple. McLaughlin rifled a single to left to bring in Hudson. An error and a wild pitch brought McLaughlin to third. He scored the tying run on a single to left by Buendia.
Wright was the leading hitter for Rotary with a single and a double in four trips to the plate. Buendia paced Glo-Valve with two singles, a triple, one run and four RBIs. Douglas made the defensive play of the game for Rotary with a catch of a fly ball in center. Danny Moncado, with a catch in center and a throw to Hudson at second for an 8-4 double play, made one of the outstanding defensive plays for Glo-Valve. Trip Clark made an acrobatic, diving catch at shortstop of a line drive for a second defensive gem for Glo-Valve.
Glo-Valve will play host to the Flogistix Red Sox Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Optimist Park.
The Pampa Optimist Youth Club is a Pampa United Way agency.
