By Keeghan Gittins
For The New Era
Sweet Home’s week in baseball was filled with highs and lows as the Huskies dropped the first two games of their series against North Marion before bouncing back with a 10-2 win in the final game.
Sweet Home opened the series with a deflating 21-13 loss on Monday, May 11, after jumping out to an early 8-0 lead in the first inning. The Huskies followed that with a 16-5 mercy-rule loss on Wednesday before responding Thursday in Game 3 with a dominant 10-2 victory.
Sweet Home’s offense exploded throughout the series, collecting 17 hits from eight different players while six players recorded multiple hits.
In the opener, Sweet Home looked unstoppable early. Kyle Zajic sparked the offense with a double, a walk and two singles while scoring two runs. With the bases loaded, Bradyn McClure crushed a high fly ball to center field that barely cleared the fence for the first grand slam and home run of his high school career. The Huskies batted through the entire lineup in the first inning and later built an 11-2 lead entering the fourth inning.
“Watching Bradyn hit one out was a great experience for him and his teammates. I’m glad he was able to get that moment, and although the rest of the game wasn’t great, hopefully it’s something he can remember,” Coach Evan Teter said.
North Marion slowly chipped away behind timely hitting and Sweet Home errors, cutting the lead to 13-10 before erupting for 11 unanswered runs in the seventh inning to complete the comeback and hand the Huskies a 21-13 loss.
“We got a little too comfortable with our lead. North Marion had some timely hits, and we had a hard time when we had plays we could make,” said Teter.
McClure finished with a team-high four RBIs after the grand slam, while Zajic went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, three RBIs and two runs scored, totaling seven bases.
Luke Rosa turned in a perfect 5-for-5 performance at the plate, scoring twice, driving in two runs and stealing two bases. Tregon Francis added two RBIs while going 2-for-5 with a run scored. Damon Lawrence collected two hits, scored once and stole a base, while Jake Smith added two hits and crossed the plate once.
Sweet Home totaled 12 RBIs, drew three walks and struck out only eight times in 39 at-bats while producing six extra-base hits.
Defensively, the Huskies committed five errors, which North Marion capitalized on late. North Marion finished with 15 hits while also taking advantage of eight walks.
Zajic started on the mound for Sweet Home, pitching the first 3.2 innings while striking out four and allowing just one earned run despite five total runs scored against him. Colton Lindsey relieved and recorded three strikeouts over 2.2 innings pitched.
Rosa was sent in to try and end the game, but the switch was not enough as North Marion scored four against him and then three against Micheal Eggers.
The second game proved difficult for the Huskies as they fell 16-5 in a mercy-rule loss.
“Wednesday was a rough game. We worked hard at practice to tweak some things and felt good going into the game, but just had a hard time getting things going,” Tete said.
Sweet Home responded in the finale with a 10-2 victory.
“In Game 3 Luke did a good job of throwing strikes and keeping hitters and base runners on their toes,” the coach said. “It gave us room for mistakes, but we also were able to have a big inning and score seven runs, which is always helpful.”
The Huskies were just outside of a playoff berth coming into this week, but the margins are slim they need to win out and multiple teams to lose multiple games in a row
Sweet Home looks to use this series as a learning experience and focus on their toughest opponent in league, Stayton, this week.
The Eagles are ranked seventh in the state and sit atop the league. Wednesday, May 20, will be Sweet Home’s Senior Night.
SH softball hoping for play-in game
Sweet Home softball suffered a tough loss to No. 6 Cascade on Thursday, May 14, after dominating Philomath 14-1 the day before to officially secure third place in league standings.
Coming off a 6-1 loss on the road at Stayton on Monday, May 11, the Huskies quickly responded by defeating Philomath 14-1 to clinch third place in league.
Sweet Home managed only six hits against the Warriors, but took advantage of aggressive baserunning and Philomath errors to score 14 runs. Addy Vannice led the Huskies with a game-high three RBIs.
Katriona “Peanut” Harris was dominant in the circle, allowing just one hit while striking out the Warriors lineup. She walked three batters, with one run scoring.
“Pitching is the first line of defense, so it definitely helps keep the team’s morale up when she is pitching well,” said Coach Emily Marchbanks, who spent most of her high school and college career in that position. .
The Huskies battled with the No. 6-ranked Cougars on Thursday, but a seven-run fourth inning proved costly in a 10-7 loss. Despite the defeat, Sweet Home outhit Cascade 11-7 at the plate.
“The last few games the girls have come out with a lot of fire offensively and worked toward getting and keeping the momentum during the games. They are doing a great job,” Marchbanks said.
Sweet Home’s offense continued to show improvement throughout the game.
“In general, we have been hitting better as the season has progressed and I think that also helps up defensively stay stronger because there isn’t as much pressure,” Marchbanks said.
Taylee Rosa led the Huskies with three runs scored while Annabelle Morris added two runs and led the team with three hits, including a double. Harris pitched the complete game in the circle.
The difference came on defense, as Sweet Home committed seven errors.
“We had several errors that spiraled into more runs, but I am proud that our team responded in the following innings by staying strong and fighting back,” Marchbanks said.
As the postseason approaches, Marchbanks said the focus remains simple.
“We just need to keep focusing on controlling what we can and having quality at-bats.”
The Huskies are third in league and are hoping to stay ranked high enough to get a play-In game. They are currently No. 17 in the state. Sweet Home plays Newport Monday, May 18,. Then an away game against North Marion before ending their season with senior night against No. 10 Stayton.