3A Baseball: Pirates, Tigers start April on right foot
Dayton 6
Seaside 5
It seemed hope was lost for the No. 20-ranked Pirates (5-2) when they hosted 4A No. 27 Seaside (3-4) and were down 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
Freshman Owen Clark led off the inning with a walk and freshman Brody Douthit followed with a single. Sophomore Harvey Walsh proceeded with a bouncing base hit under the third baseman’s glove to make the score 5-3. Two batters later, senior Ryan Mullins stepped to the plate and sent the ball flying into right-center field. It rolled to the wall and Mullins slid safely into third base for a two-run game-tying triple.
Junior Nathan Coburn was next in line, chopping the ball to a shallow playing shortstop. The throw to cut down Coburn at home plate was late and the game ended in walk-off fashion.
Mullins and Walsh each had two hits on the day. They combined for three runs scored and a trio of RBIs near the top of the order.
Seaside out hit Dayton 12-8, but Austin Coleman (6 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 K) and Coburn (1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) did just enough to keep the Pirates within striking distance.
Yamhill Carlton 5
Astoria 0
YC senior Gus Brunner was dominant on the mound versus 4A Astoria (1-5) at Tapiola Park, throwing a one-hit complete game while walking two and striking out 12.
“Gus was incredible,” Tigers’ Head Coach Jake McGraw said. “That was a big win for him on the bump, and he’s been really good this year of just filling up the strike zone.”
Brunner also added a 3-for-3 day at the plate with an RBI double. He was bolstered by sophomore Wyatt Hurl (1-for-3, R, 2 RBIs). Junior shortstop Porter Carden and freshman Bradley Tuning also drove in runs.
YC recorded seven hits while scoring one in the third, one in the fifth and three in the seventh.
April 2
Dayton 13
Gaston 1
Gaston continued its Yamhill County travels with a trip to Dayton on Thursday, where the Pirates out-hit their opponent 13-1, scoring five runs in the first and six in the third.
Walsh (2-for-2, 3 R, 2 RBIs, 2 BB), Coburn (2-for-2, 2 R, 5 RBIs) and Clark (3-for-3, 2 R, RBI) led the charge.
Sophomore Mason Perez, Walsh and Clark all found two-baggers, while Coburn and freshman Carson Newton sped around for triples.
Mullins (4 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K) and Douthit (1 IP, 3K) shut down Gaston’s bats.
The Pirates sailed to No. 2 Taft (7-0) on Monday (after News-Register deadline), beginning league play. Dayton hosts the Tigers on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
Willamina/Sheridan 2
Eddyville Charter/Siletz Valley 9
The second game of the week was more within hand for the Bulldogs, but they could not overcome a slew of late runs scored by 2A/1A No. 37 Eddyville Charter/Siletz Valley (1-2).
Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Willamina in the first, where freshman Brody Lux came through with a two-run base hit for an early lead. Sophomore Olivia Mecham settled down in the second inning after a rough first, but Eddyville broke through again in the third to take a lead.
Zito was 2-for-4 at the plate for the Bulldogs, while Larsen, freshman Carter Felton, Lux and junior Tidus Sabin recorded the team’s five other hits.
The Bulldogs hosted PacWest rival Yamhill Carlton on Monday. They face off again in Yamhill on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
April 3
Amity 4
Vernonia 16
The No. 38-ranked Warriors (1-4) found ways to out-hit 2A/1A No. 36 Vernonia (1-5) on Friday, but committed 11 costly errors, allowing the Loggers to score five runs in the third and sixth innings.
Senior Ashton Olsen and freshman Cash Rinke each had two hits for Amity, while freshman third baseman Sawyer Tharp was 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
Loggers’ sophomore Kelan Busch led his offense, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
Amity began league play at No. 28 Santiam Christian (1-5) on Monday. The Warriors host the Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Yamhill Carlton 9
Neah-Kah-Nie 8
The Tigers’ matchup with No. 33 Neah-Kah-Nie (3-3) came down to late offensive execution.
YC carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the fifth inning. Senior Tyler Pond was solid on the mound, throwing six three-hit innings in the start with six strikeouts, but bats on both sides sounded off over the final two innings.
The Tigers scored five in the top of the sixth for an 8-2 lead. Neah-Kah-Nie responded with two in the bottom half and nearly came back with four in the seventh, but junior Kainan Knapp recorded the final two outs to keep the Tigers afloat.
YC tallied nine hits to Neah-Kah-Nie’s seven. Juniors Nick Titular and Liam McGuire and Pond each found two knocks. Meanwhile, Pond and Knapp were top performers with three RBIs each. Knapp added a three-run home run to his line in the sixth.
After travelling to Willamina on Monday, the Tigers will host the Bulldogs on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
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