The Huskies took a slim lead in Sky-Em baseball standings last week after dominating Elmira, 15-0 and 14-4, in a doubleheader at home Friday and beating Cottage Grove 6-3 on the road April 10.
Sweet Home, 4-1 and 11th in OSAA rankings, leads the league and is just ahead of Sisters, 4-2.
Sweet Home travels to Sisters, which split doubleheaders with Sutherlin and Cottage Grove, for a doubleheader Friday. So far, Sweet Home has lost one game to Sutherlin.
Sweet Home 14, Elmira 4
The Huskies beat Elmira 14-4 under the 10-run rule in the sixth inning.
After giving up a single in the top of the first inning, the Huskies quickly got things going at the plate.
Keegan Holly singled out of the gate and stole second.
Elmira walked Nathan Virtue and Colton Smith with Holly scoring on a passed ball. Austin James grounded into a fielder’s choice at third, with Virtue scoring and Smith out advancing to second.
Travis Thorpe struck out, but Zach Luttmer was hit by a pitch. Nick Marler reached on an error loading bases. Gavin Nichols walked, scoring James, giving the Huskies a 3-0 lead headed into the second inning.
The Huskies extended their lead with a run in the third inning and three more in the fourth.
In the top of five, Elmira scored its first run on a pair of singles and a pair of walks, scoring three more times on another single,walk and fielder’s choice to trail 7-4.
Sweet Home put another pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the inning and another five runs in the bottom of six to end the end the game.
At bat, Virtue went 3-4 with two runs and three RBIs and Holley went 3-5 with three runs and two RBIs to lead the Huskies. Holly had a double.
Luttmer went 2-2 with two runs, two RBIs and a double.
Zach Zanona, James and Thorpe each had one hit.
James scored three runs; Nichols, two; Smith, one; and Thorpe one.
Elmira collected four hits, one each from Michael Weaver, Kevin Pierson, Gavin Parker and Blake Wigham.
For the Huskies, Smith pitched a complete game, giving up four hits, two walks and four runs, one earned, with seven strikeouts.
Pierson started for Elmira, gong three innings and giving up five hits, three walks and six runs, three earned, with two strikeouts. Manny Massengill pitched in relief, giving up six hits, three walks and eight runs, three earned, with three strikeouts.
Elmira 000 040 x – 4 4 4
Sweet Home 301 325 x – 14 11 2
Sweet Home 15, Elmira 0
Things got worse for Elmira as Fisher Anderson led the Huskies defense from the mound, giving up just one hit and one walk, to shut out Elmira in the second game.
Holly led off hit by a pitch. Virtue walked. Smith grounded out to shortstop. James hit a ground ball and reached on an error, scoring Holly to give the Huskies the first of seven runs in the first inning.
Sweet Home piled on another pair of runs in the second and six more in the fourth to end the game under the 10-run rule after the top of the fifth.
Luttmer led at bats, going 3-4 with a run and an RBI. Anderson went 2-3 with two runs and four RBIs. Virtue went 2-2 with two runs and an RBI.
Holly and Nate Jeppsen each had one hit, Jeppsen with two runs and Holly with two runs and an RBI.
Also collecting RBIS were Smith and James, who also had two runs. Nichols scored a run.
Bryce Sawyer had Elmira’s only hit.
Throwing for the Falcons, Bryce Wolgamott gave up five hits, five walks and 11 runs, three earned, with three strikeouts. Tyler Feltz pitchedthe final inning in relief, giving up three hits and four unearned runs with two strikeouts.
Elmira 000 00x x – 0 1 6
Sweet Home 720 6xx x – 15 8 0
Sweet Home 6,
Cottage Grove 3
After building up a 5-0 lead, the Huskies held off a Cottage Grove two-out rally in the fifth inning to get the win.
Holly led off with a single. Virtue was hit by a pitch, and Smith doubled to score Holly and advance Virtue to third base.
James popped out to the second baseman. Virtue scored after tagging up, and Smith scored on the throw to give the Huskies a 3-0 advantage after the first inning.
Sweet Home scored one run each in the second and third inning to lead 5-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning when Cottage Grove put numbers on the scoreboard.
After grounding out two batters, Virtue hit two batters, Emry Foster and Payton Frieze, with a pitch and then gave up a double by Hunter Sharkey to score Foster. Wyatt Sayles singled on a fly ball to left field, scoring Frieze and then Sharkey on the throw.
Jaace Cross hit a fly out to center field to end the rally.
Holly led the Huskies at the plate, going 4-4 with three runs. Smith went 2-3 with a double, a run and two RBIs, and Virtue went 2-2 with a run.
Thorpe hit a double with a run, and Nichols had one hit.
James collected two RBIs, and Luttmer had one.
Throwing, Virtue went 5 1/3 innings, giving up four walks, three hits and three earned runs with six strikeouts. Zanona closed out the game striking out four Lions.
Starting for Cottage Grove, Sayles went one inning, giving up two walks, three hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts. Jayden Lydick went the next four innings, giving up four hits, a walk and two earned runs with three strikeouts.
Kolton Britton pitched one inning, giving up three hits and an unearned run with a strikeout. Conner Browning, pitched the final inning, collecting one strikeout.
Sweet Home 311 001 0 – 6 10 0
Cottage Grove 000 030 0 – 3 3 3
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