The Glo-Valve Service Dodgers struck early and held on to defeat the Rotary Club Phillies 8-3 to wrap up their 28th league championship Friday in Pampa Optimist 11-12 Cal Ripken League action at Optimist Park.
Carter McLaughlin scattered four hits, struck out 13, walked one and allowed no earned runs to pick up his fifth victory of the year. Conner Alva struck out 17 and walked two in suffering the loss. He surrendered five hits.
Easton Willis drew a walk to lead off Glo-Valve’s half of the first inning. After a strikeout, McLaughlin was walked intentionally. A pair of stolen bases landed Willis on third while McLaughlin was allowed to take second on a fielder’s choice. David Buendia hammered a single to right to score both runners giving Glo-Valve a 2-0 lead.
With one away in the second inning for Glo-Valve, Trip Clark doubled and stole third. He took home on a passed ball. Aiden Hammond made it to first after a third strike got by the catcher. A stolen base, a passed ball and a wild pitch upped the score to 4-0.
The league champions went back to work in the third inning. Willis opened the inning with a double to center. He stole third and scored on a single by Hagen Hudson. McLaughlin was walked intentionally a second time. The runners executed a double steal. Both scored after two wild pitches. Glo-Valve had a 7-0 lead.
Rotary got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning by the courtesy of three Glo-Valve errors. Landry Classen reached first on an error. Mike Brittan walked. An errant pickoff attempt sent Classen racing home with Brittan stopping at third. Brittan scored on a ground out by Antwan Wright. Alva made it all the way to second on Glo-Valve’s third error of the inning but was gunned down trying to steal third on a throw from Willis to third baseman Aiden Hammond, who applied the tag.
McLaughlin slammed a massive home run over the left field wall to get a run back for Glo-Valve in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, Alva reached base on a Glo-Valve error, stole two bases and hustled home on a wild pitch to end the scoring.
Outstanding fielding plays for Glo-Valve included Willis’ caught stealing at third and a relay from Jace Ruiz in right field, to Buendia at first to Willis, who tagged out a runner trying to score from second on a single.
Rotary’s defensive gem came when Alva threw to Wright at short who fired to Cache Kidwell at third to pick off a Glo-Valve runner who strayed too far off second.
Glo-Valve improved to 7-0-2 and has a three-game lead in the loss column over the Phillies with one game to play in the regular season.
The Pampa Optimist Youth Club is a Pampa United Way agency.
