The New Era - All about Sweet Home since 1929

Sweet Home beat Philomath 3-2 Saturday afternoon, April 13, to win a three-game high school baseball series 2-1 after sweeping a series last week against Stayton.

After winning the series two games to one, Coach John Best said the Huskies can win any tiebreakers if necessary for the league championship.

"We're in the driver's seat," Best said. "We just have to win the next three series."

Among them will be ninth-ranked Newport, which also has yet to face Philomath but is undefeated so far in league.

The Huskies also still must play Cascade and Sisters prior to facing Newport.

"I think it's going to come down to Newport and Sweet Home for the league championship," Best said. "We're exactly where we want to be. We've been playing really well. We've beaten the teams I think we should have. I knew Philomath was going to be tough. That was huge for us. Philomath is a really good ball club."

Now the Huskies must take care of the next two series and win at least two against Newport.

hilomath, seventh in OSAA rankings, was ahead of eighth-ranked Sweet Home 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning on April 4 when rain forced the game to pause. The Huskies were the home team but on the road because their field was too wet.

The Huskies came back and had a good day, picking up Saturday where they left off. The Warriors had two runners on, one out and the lead-off hitter up to bat when the game continued.

"Our dugout was loud," Best said. "It was a pretty fun game."

Pitcher Colton Smith got the Huskies out of that inning on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out to third.

Travis Thorpe got things going in the bottom of the fourth singling on a line drive to left field. Smith walked, and Aiden Tyler sent a line drive to center field to score both and tie the game.

The Huskies took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Zach Zanona and Nate Virtue singled. Thorpe and Zach Luttmer each sacrificed to score Luttmer and take a 3-2 lead.

Virtue led at the plate going 2-3. Thorpe, Tyler and Zanona each had one hit, Tyler with two RBIs. Luttmer had one RBI. Scoring runs were Thorpe, Smith and Zanona.

Adam Hernandez and Calvin Snuggerud went 2-3 to lead the Philomath offense.

Zanona got the start for the Huskies, giving up five walks and two hits with no earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. Smith threw 1 1/3 innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one to record the win. Tyler went two innings to get the save, giving up two hits but striking out three.

Hernandez threw a complete game for the Warriors, giving up four hits, five walks and three earned runs while striking out four.

Sweet Home has a bye this week and will visit Valley Catholic in a non-league game Thursday. The Huskies are scheduled to begin their series against Cascade at home at 4:30 p.m. Monday. They will travel to Cascade April 24 and host Cascade at 4:30 p.m. April 25.

Philomath 002 000 0 – 2 5 0

Sweet Home 000 210 x – 3 4 1

Sweet Home beat Stayton 6-2 on April 9 on the road and then 9-5 and 11-2 in a doubleheader Friday at home.

In the first game, the teams were tied 2-2 headed into the seventh inning. Tyler walked, Thorpe singled and Austin Olin doubled on a line drive to right field to score them and take a 4-2 lead.

Gain Nichols and Dawson Armstrong singled to score Olin, and Nichols scored on an error to take a 6-2 lead.

The Huskies collected 10 hits, led by Olin who went 2-3 with two RBIs and two runs.

Also hitting were Virtue, Luttmer, Smith, Tyler, Thorpe, Nichols, Armstrong and Zanona – everyone in the lineup. The Eagles had five hits.

Smith threw a complete game, giving up three walks, five hits and no earned runs with three strikeouts.

Sweet Home 010 010 4 – 6 10 2

Stayton 002 000 0 – 2 5 4

In the second game, Sweet Home held an early 2-1 lead, but by the fifth inning, they were tied 5-5.

The Huskies broke away in the bottom of the sixth on a single by Nichols, a sacrifice bunt from Armstrong, an error and a single by Virtue to score Nichols.

Zanona scored on a ground out by Luttmer. Smith doubled to score Virtue, and Tyler doubled to score Smith, giving the Huskies a 9-5 lead.

The Huskies had 12 hits, with Smith leading at bat going 4-4 with two RBIs and three runs. Virtue went 3-4 with an RBI and two runs. Tyler and Thorpe went 2-4, Tyler with two RBIs and a run and Thorpoe with an RBI. Nicols had one hit, an RBI and a run.

Virtue got the start and went five innings, giving up seven hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out four. Tyler got the win, giving up a walk and a hit with two strikeouts.

"After that game, we challenged our guys to play loose and have some fun at the plate," Best said. The had a huge swing in momentum that carried through to the next day against Philomath. They were more focused and they had a good time in the third game, scoring in every inning but one.

"The kids are just playing really good right now," Best said. "And Stayton's not bad. They can compete."

Stayton's record, 0-9 in league, doesn't show it, but the scores do, with the team losing close games, including two games against Philomath by just one run.

Stayton 102 020 0 – 5 8 2

Sweet Home 203 004 x – 9 12 2

In game three, "Zach (Zanona threw really well," Best said. He pitched a complete game, giving up five hits, three walks and one earned run with three strikeouts.

At the same time, the Huskies started scoring and never looked back.

SWEET HOME'S Aiden Tyler turns a double play.

Zanona led at the plate, going 2-3 with four RBIs. Cole Mizsei went 1-2 with three RBIs and one run. Nichols went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs.

Treyson Smith had two hits, two RBIs and a run, and Thorpe had two hits with two runs. Virtue and Smith also each had a hit, Smith with a run.

Smith and Zanona each had doubles.

Donovan Stanley went four innings on the mound for the Eagles, giving up seven hits, five walks and three earned runs with six strikeouts.

Mitchell went 1 1/3 innings in relief, giving up three hits, two walks and four earned runs with two strikeouts. Salisbury threw the last two outs.

Stayton 001 001 0 – 2 5 2

Sweet Home 113 204 x – 11 10 3