Sports Zone

Bushnell Beacons savor a season of firsts; Fripp earns all-league

MIKE EYSTER / CHRONICLE PHOTO – The new scoreboard for the 2,200-seat Hamlin Middle School baseball stadium stands ready for use by the Bushnell Beacons and Springfield Drifters of the West Coast League. Springfield’ shiny new stadium will treat fans of both teams throughout the winter, spring and summer.

LEWISTON, Idaho – Bushnell University’s baseball team closed out its inaugural season on Sunday, May 1, losing two games at Lewis-Clark State College. The Beacons finished the season at 11-37 (9-14 in Cascade Collegiate Conference) – only two games out of the playoffs.

 “LC State is a complete team that is well coached and has a rich tradition,” said Beacons manager Tommy Richards. “They make you work for every out and there are no holes in their lineup. What I love about this weekend is the experience it offered our young club moving forward. We played meaningful games in the last weekend against the best our conference has to offer.”

 Sunday, the Beacons led early, this time off the bat of Kyle Casperson, who hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. The No. 4 Warriors, however, were again to pull away, scoring 10 unanswered runs.

 LC ended the day with 11 runs on nine hits, scoring seven earned runs as the Beacons committed five errors in the field. Kai Keamo threw the first five innings for the Beacons, allowing four earned runs on six hits while striking out five.

 The Warriors had a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to invoke the run-rule and close the book on the Bushnell season in Game 2.  

 The Beacons took fifth-place in the CCC.

 “I think our group came a long way this season from the beginning of the year,” Richards said. “I am proud of the effort. As coaches we need to do a better job of putting them in situations to be successful. This launches us into the off-season with a bitter taste in our mouths and we are hungry to right the wrongs from this year.”

Fripp earns all-league

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Jeff Fripp, a junior from Orange Park, Fla., was honored as part of the All-Conference team after leading the Bushnell offense. 

MIKE EYSTER / CHRONICLE PHOTO – Fripp

Fripp batted .311 on the season and led the team in multiple categories including runs (28), hits (47), home runs (8) and runs batted in (27). Fripp had 14 multiple-hit games during the season, including five games with three hits.

The selection to the All-CCC Team, was announced Friday, April 27.

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