By Keeghan Kittins
For The New Era
Sweet Home played its final three-game baseball series against Stayton last week, finishing the season 1-2.
The Huskies’ week started with a 9-4 loss at home on Tuesday, May 13 against the No. 15 Eagles/ Sweet Home was able to steal a 6-5 win on the road on May 14, then finished their season with an 11-0 loss.
Stayton 9, Sweet Home 4
Luke Rosa started on the mound in Tuesday’s matchup, pitching just over four innings and recording two strikeouts before being relieved by Eddie Taylor. Taylor, a junior, made his pitching debut after being sidelined due to a knee injury sustained during football season. In his two innings, he had two strikeouts, but only allowed two hits.
Both teams had a quick first inning, with neither team recording a base hit. Two singles from Stayton made the game 2–0. Stayton added to its lead with a run in the third and the fourth.
In the bottom of the fourth, Rosa’s first double of the day allowed Damon Lawrence to swim past the catcher’s tag attempt to score Sweet Home’s first run. A Conner Northern RBI single made the game 4–2.
Stayton was able to hit a home run off Rosa, scoring two runs. The Huskies responded, though, as Kyle Zajic barreled a ball 330-foot shot over the warning track to score his and the Huskies’ first home run of the season.
Stayton punched in two more runs, while another double from Rosa and a sacrifice fly from Tregon Francis added Sweet Home’s final point. The Eagles added one more run to their lead and ended the game, 9–4.
Sweet Home 6, Stayton 5
The Huskies came out aggressive in their second game, with Zajic setting the tone by ripping a double on the very first pitch of the game.
Zajic scored after a Lawrence sacrifice bunt moved him to third, and a Rosa single brought him home. In the following inning, Lawrence hit an RBI single, making the game 2–0.
Stayton responded quickly with two runs of its own in the second and third innings.
In the fourth, an error by the Eagles allowed Lynkin Royer to score. Royer led the team with three runs and two hits; no other Husky even had two runs. Stayton evened it at three apiece. Kaidence Greer was able to connect to bring Taylor home, and to follow that, Bradyn McClure hit an RBI single to make the game 6–3.
Royer was the starting pitcher for Wednesday’s game, pitching five solid innings and having three strikeouts. Cohen Gutierrez took over in the bottom of the fifth, allowing just one hit and one run.
Zajic came in and struck out two of the final three hitters to secure the 6–5 win.
Sweet Home tightened up defensively and flipped the script, forcing Stayton into making key errors, which really made the difference down the stretch.
Stayton 11, Sweet Home 0
The Huskies returned home for their Senior Night and their final game of the year. The Huskies lost, 11–0.
As Sweet Home is a sophomore- and junior-heavy team, the only senior celebrated this year was Hunter Dalley.
The Eagles came into this game hot, scoring two runs in the first, adding six in the second, and another three in the third.
Zajic was the first to pitch, before being relieved by McClure for a short stint.
Halfway through the top of the third, Taylor came in and pitched the rest of the game, having two strikeouts and only giving up one run.
The Huskies were unable to get on base effectively, as they were walked zero times and only recorded two hits all game, by Zajic and Lawrence.
Sweet Home ends the year 8–18 overall and fifth in the OWC with a 3–12 league record, just above Cascade.
Sweet Home had two players with 10 or more doubles for the season: Francis with 11 and Rosa with 10.
Freshman Damon Lawrence led the team with 26 singles; the next closest were Gutierrez and Northern with 19. Lawrence led the team with nine stolen bases. Gutierrez and Rosa tied with 23 RBIs, while Zajic led the team with 25 runs and 28 hits despite only playing 20 out of the 26 possible games.
Rosa led the team in innings pitched with 52 and strikeouts with 47. Zajic was a close second with 32 K’s in 30 innings. Opponents hit just .285 against Rosa, with Zajic and Royer not far behind at .323.