After a nasty 10-0 defeat at Philomath on April 21, the Sweet Home baseball squad rebounded last week to beat Taft 8-7 on the road Thursday, April 23, then take Regis on the road on Saturday, 17-2.
Philomath 10, SH 0
“We kind of got blown out in this one,” said Coach Dan Tow, after the Warriors tore into Husky pitchers Gavin Kauffman, Levi Marchbanks and TJ Sipe.
“We had some struggles on the mound and they hit the ball well. This was one of those bad nights that happen and that’s all you can say.”
Three errors didn’t help the Huskies. They were led at the plate by Marchbanks and JP Williams, who each went 1-1, Williams getting a double, while Leif Erickson went 1-2 and Tyler Holly 1-3, all with singles.
SH 000 00 €“ 0 4 3
P 142 12x €“10 10 0
SH 8, Taft 7
Two big double plays late in the game helped keep this one close for Sweet Home, which was trailing 7-6 through the fifth and sixth innings before Andrew Winslow came through for the Huskies with a game-winning single in the top of the seventh, driving in Brock Cota and Gavin Kauffman with one out.
“I thought both teams played hard and it was a great win for us,” Tow said. “Brock Cota had a great night at the plate and so did JP Williams.”
Williams went 3-4 with three singles and three runs batted in, while Cota was 2-2 with a home run and a single, scoring two. Gavin Kauffman added two singles in four at-bats, while Steven Bidwell and Winslow both went 1-3.
Williams “competed hard” on the mound through four innings before being relieved by Kauffman, who came in “and was just outstanding,” facing only eight batters to get nine outs and the win, thanks in part to a double play in the fifth right after he came in.
SH 105 000 2 €“ 8 12 3
Taft 104 200 0 €“ 7 8 3
SH 17, Regis 2
The Huskies played “a good game” defensively, scoring another double play against the Rams, who had loaded the bases in the first inning.
TJ Sipe got Sweet Home off to a good start on the mound, giving up two runs in the first, then striking out the side in the second and giving up only one hit in four innings of work.
Sweet Home scored three in the first and again in the fifth innings, along with a run in the fourth, before blowing the game open in the sixth with a 10-run outburst.
“We really hit the ball well,” Tow said.
Levi Marchbanks pitched the final two innings, holding Regis scoreless.
Gavin Kauffman and JP Williams led Sweet Home at the plate, Kauffman going 3-5 with three singles and three RBIs, while Williams added two singles and a double and accounted for four runs scoring. Andrew Winslow was 2-3, with a single, a double and three RBIs.
Tyler Holly, Steven Bidwell and Leif Erickson each had two hits, Holly scoring three runs and Bidwell adding three stolen bases.
Brad Valloni hit a two-run homer as well and Jamie Steinbacher went 1-2 with two RBIs. Levi Marchbanks added two more RBIs, going 1-1, and Brock Cota had to more runs batted in.
The Huskies play Wednesday, April 29, against Newport before facing Central at home Friday, May 1.
SH 300 1 3 10 €“17 19 1
Regis 200 0 0 0 €“ 2 3 5