The Huskies slipped by Cottage Grove, 3-2, in a monster 10-inning high school baseball game April 15 before putting down Sutherlin and Junction City under the 10-run rule on Thursday and Friday and entering a three-way tie for second behind first-place Sisters in the Sky-Em.
The Cottage Grove game came down to two pitchers throwing really well, said Coach Dan Tow. Against the other two teams, which weren’t quite as good as Cottage Grove, “you’ve still got to go out and get runs.”
And his team did that, defeating Cottage Grove and then Sutherlin 17-7 and Junction City 13-1, extending the Huskies’ record to 4-2 in league, tying them with Cottage Grove and Elmira. Sutherlin has won no games so far, and Junction City’s only win was against Sutherlin. Cottage Grove is the only team in the league to defeat Sisters so far this year.
Looking forward, the Huskies face Elmira at home on Friday and and travel to Elmira on Tuesday. Elmira defeated the Huskies 4-3 in Elmira earlier in the season.
“This Friday’s game, every game really, is a big game,” Tow said.
Sweet Home 3,
Cottage Grove 2
“We’ve had great games with them the last two years,” Tow said. “Either team could win it. It was really hard to score runs.”
Cottage Grove scored a run in the third inning. The Huskies scratched out two runs in the top of six. The Lions answered with a second run, tying the game until the 10th inning when the Huskies managed their third run.
The Huskies hit the ball nine times. Desmond Ely led the team going 3-4 and scoring two runs.
Hunter Jutte hit the ball twice, including a double and an RBI. Justin Tow hit the ball twice and recorded a run and an RBI.
Brett Blachly and Joe Salsbery each hit the ball once, and Blachly had an RBI.
Cole Ashcraft pitched nine innings, earning the win. He gave up five hits, four walks and one earned run. He struck out seven batters. Dan Virtue pitched the last inning, giving up no hits, balls or runs.
Sweet Home 000 002 000 1 – 3 9 1
Cottage Grove 001 001 000 0 – 2 5 1
Sweet Home 17, Sutherlin 7
With a six-run sixth inning, the Huskies put away Sutherlin 17-7 on Thursday at home.
Sutherlin opened scoring in the first inning, but the Huskies scored too, leading the game 3-2 and never looking back. The Huskies piled up the runs, with a six-run third inning, leading 11-4 going into the sixth inning.
Every member of the lineup produced at bat.
Colyn Van Eck led the Huskies at the plate, going 3-4 with three RBIs, two runs two doubles and a home run.
Blachly hit the ball twice, with three RBIs and a run. Ely had two hits with two RBIs and two doubles. Jake Long hit the ball twice and scored two runs. Jutte hit the ball twice, knocking in one runner and scoring three times.
Justin Tow hit once and scored a run. Dan Virtue hit once and scored twice.
Also producing action at the plate were Brandon Keenon, who had an RBI and two runs on two walks. Kevin Seiber scored two runs. He walked once and was hit by a pitch. Ashcraft scored one run, reaching base on a walk.
Keenon started on the mound and got the win. He pitched three innings, giving up three hits, seven walks and four earned runs. He struck out six. Salsbery pitched 2.1 innings, giving up a hit, four walks and three earned runs and striking out one. Seiber pitched .2 innings, striking out two batters and giving up a single walk.
Sutherlin 200 203 – 7 4 6
Sweet Home 316 106 – 17 13 1
Sweet Home 13,
Junction City 1
The Huskies led Junction City by 10 runs from the first inning, 11-1, and finished 13-1 in five innings.
Again, everyone in the lineup contributed at bat. Jutte led at the plate, going 3-3 with three RBIs, two runs and a double.
Blachly hit twice with three runs. Tow hit twice with two RBIs and two runs. Keenon hit twice with three RBIs. Seiber had two hits with two RBIs and a run. Ashcraft hit once with an RBI and a run. Van Eck had two hits with an RBI and two runs, and Virtue had a single hit with a run. Salsbery reached base on an error and scored a run.
Pitching, Virtue started and earned the win, striking out four and giving up three hits, two walks and an earned run. Devin Stafford closed out the game, striking out one batter.
Junction City 100 00 – 1 3 4
Sweet Home (11)02 0x – 13 15 0