Sean C. Morgan
It was an ugly start for Sweet Home Thursday as Marshfield took advantage of pitcher Cole Ashcraft’s nerves and scored three two-out runs on two hits during the state play-in baseball game hosted by the Huskies.
But sixth-ranked Sweet Home, 16-7 overall and 11-4 in Sky-Em action, wasn’t buying the one-and-done story line. The Huskies bounced back in the bottom of the inning, scored four two-out runs and never looked back, winning the game 6-3. They travel to North Bend High School, 11th in the OSAA state rankings, on Wednesday for the first round of state playoffs.
Pitching a complete game, Ashcraft found his stride in the second inning and allowed just one more hit all game. He gave up just four walks and struck out eight Marshfield batters.
“After that, Cole Ashcraft threw the best game of his life that I’ve watched,” said teammate Hunter Jutte.
“There was a lot of pressure on us in the early inning,” Ashcraft said. “But then we took control.”
His teammates and he loosened up, he said. “Once I got the nerves out, I pitched pretty good.”
Jutte said the Huskies came into the game with big expectations.
“Coming out, we had a lot of confidence,” he said. “We always knew senior year was going to be our year.”
But he admitted the team was nervous after giving up three runs in the first.
Desmond Ely stepped up with a couple of key plays, and defense held firm as Sweet Home seized the momentum.
“It was a fun game,” Jutte said. “We knew it was going to be competitive. We were all amped up. We knew what we had to do to win, and we put it all together.”
Ashcraft struck one out to open the game but gave up a walk. Marshfield pitcher Tyler Campbell laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the Nick Minton to second. Ashcraft walked one more, Andrew Sharp, and then Austin Soria singled to score Minton.
Sharp and Soria advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Ben Martin singled to score Sharp and Soria.
Leading 3-0. Marshfield ended its run with a fly out to center field.
For the Huskies, Hunter Jutte walked and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Campbell struck out Justin Tow, and Brett Blachly went out on a fly ball to left field.
With two out, it was time for the Huskies to pull the trigger and they did.
The next play was key, Ashcraft said. Brandon Keenon got things going for the Huskies with a double into the gap, scoring Jutte.
Kevin Seiber reached first as a hit batter. Ely hit a short ground ball up the third baseline to score Keenon and advance Seiber to third, and Dan Virtue knocked the ball out to right field to score Seiber, advance Ely to second and tie the game 3-3.
On a wild pitch, Ely took off for third, but Virtue hesitated. Marshfield trapped him between first and second, giving Ely the chance to race for home plate and go ahead 4-3. The Pirates, reacted, trying to pick him off but only opened the way for Virtue to hit second safely.
Joe Salsbery struck out to end the first inning, but the game was on.
The Huskies scored next in the third inning with Virtue on third.
On a wild pitch close to the plate, Virtue struck home plate at just the right time in a tricky situation, said Coach Dan Tow, “Danny read it really well and really made it easy. He read it perfectly.”
Blachly singled in the bottom of the fourth to score Jutte, who had reached base on a double.
It was a rough opening for both pitchers, Tow said. Both teams got to two outs and then scored big innings.
“The thing that was so awesome was we came right back in the bottom of the first and we scored four,” Tow said. “Then we never looked back.”
Ashcraft gave up just one more hit, none in the final four innings of the game.
Campbell gave up eight hits, two walks and six runs, striking out five Huskies.
“Their pitcher was a good pitcher,” Tow said. “Our kids did a good job against him.”
Jutte went 2-3, with a double and scored twice, Tow noted. On defense, he made some “great catches” on some tougher shots.
“He’s one of those guys that make it look easy,” Tow said.
Virtue also made a great catch in right field and went 2-3 with an RBI and a run.
Finishing with one hit were Blachly; Justin Tow; Keenon with a double, RBI and run; and Ely with a run and an RBI.
Marshfield, from the Far West League, finished the season 11-15 overall and 8-7, for third place in the Far West League, which will be Sweet Home’s destination on Wednesday, May 27.
Sweet Home’s next opponent, North Bend, is Far West League champion with a 20-5 record overall and a 14-1 league record.
The Bulldogs beat Marshfield 7-0 on the road and 13-7 and 5-1 at home. They played a non-league game on the road at Cottage Grove May 19, and lost 9-2, but then won 3-1 Thursday, May 21, in a non-league contest at 5A Division Crescent Valley.
The Huskies will face the best pitcher and best team in the Far West League, Tow said, but it’s going to come down to who plays better and who pitches better on Wednesday.
Sweet Home is respectful but confident.
“I feel we’ll work just as good,” Ashcraft said. “We just have to come out and play our game, and we should be fine.”
“We’ve got to come out and play our A game,” Jutte said. “It’s going to be more challenging down there. We’ve got to have that mindset that we’re just as good, if not better, and we can beat anyone on any day. I know we can. Everyone knows we can. We’ve just got to do it and move on to the quarterfinals – one game at a time.”
“They’re a good baseball team, well-coached,” Tow said. “I think they’re a team we can compete with. Our kids have been playing great baseball. If we do the things we’re capable of, we’ll make it to the next round. I think we stack up well.”
The winner of the game will host top-ranked Henley or 16th-ranked Cascade in the quarterfinals on Friday, May 29.
Marshfield 300 000 0 – 3 3 2
Sweet Home 401 100 x – 6 8 1