Chen, Aggies post blowouts to begin Bash

Standing 6 feet 7 inches, Arbor View junior right-hander Ryan Chen is an imposing figure on the mound.

He also brings some pop to the Aggies' batting lineup, and he put both qualities on display to begin the Blazer Spring Bash tournament Monday.

Chen was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs in a 13-0, five-inning home victory over Arleta (Calif.), then pitched a six-inning two-hitter with five strikeouts in a 14-1 rout of Carson (Calif.) at Las Vegas High.

"He had a great day," Arbor View coach Chris Martinez. "He's been patient waiting his turn to get on the mound, and every time, he's thrown the ball extremely well for us. He's been swinging the bat very well as well, working hard every day. I'm proud of him."

Chen said the Aggies (15-2) should gain momentum by starting the tournament with a pair of run-rule victories over California teams.

"You 10-run two good California teams, you start to feel like you've got more confidence," he said.

Wyatt Burge threw a five-inning three-hitter with two strikeouts in the win over Arleta, and he had plenty of offensive support. Evan McMahan and Tyler Garrison each had a double and a triple as part of the Aggies' 15-hit attack.

Against Carson, Chen got in a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the first inning, but struck out Isaias Pulido to end the threat. Chen cruised after that.

"I struggled a little bit in the first inning locating my fastball, then I kind of located it and got them off balance," Chen said. "I worked a lot of ground balls. It was good defense."

Arbor View scored 10 runs and sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth to put the run rule into effect.

Brandon LaPointe had two doubles, an RBI and scored twice. Adam Koutz, the Aggies' No. 9 hitter, was 3-for-3 with two RBIs.

Contact reporter Tristan Aird at taird@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @tristanaird.