SALEM – The Roseburg baseball team belted two home runs and had 11 hits total as the Indians’ offense exploded for a 13-1 victory over South Salem in the first round of the state playoffs on Monday at Gilmore Field.

Senior Carson Townsend broke the game wide open with a grand slam in the third inning to give Roseburg an 8-0 lead at the time. It was the first home run of Townsend’s season and just the third of the year for the Indians.

Yet, later in the game, Roseburg’s Zack Mandera hit his third homer of the year with a man on second to put Roseburg up 13-1. The Tribe doubled its home run production in a single game and now will try to keep that offensive firepower going as the team prepares to face Beaverton in the second round on Wednesday.

While Roseburg’s bats were dominant, so was starting pitcher Zack Mandera. The sophomore scattered four hits over six innings and allowed only one run. He struck out eight and walked just one while earning his seventh win of the year.

Mandera’s counterpart, Ryan Brown, came into the game without a loss on his record, but the fellow sophomore lasted just two innings. Brown gave up four hits and allowed eight runs, six of which were earned.

The Indians started the scoring by taking advantage of South Salem’s misfortune. Garrett Russell leadoff the game by getting hit by a pitch. He advanced from first to third on an errant throw to second from Brown, who fielded a sac bunt and tried to get the lead runner, but tossed the ball to centerfield.

Russell then scored on a shallow sacrifice fly to right field by Collin Warmouth and the Indians led 1-0. The Tribe added another run in the second on a Treven Jacks double and the team blew the game open with nine runs total in the third.

Roseburg sent 13 hitters to the plate in the third inning and scored six runs before the Saxons recorded the first out.

Junior Luke Lucido snapped a short slump by going 3-for-4 with two double and four RBI. The Indians recorded six extra base hits in the game and eight of the nine starters collected a hit.

The Indians will now have an off day Tuesday before traveling north again for a match-up against Beaverton. The No. 4 ranked Beavers defeated Cleveland 7-0 on Tuesday to advance to the second round. Game time has yet to be determined.

ROSEBURG 119; 002; 0 – 13; 11; 2
S SALEM 000; 100; 0 – 1; 4; 4
Mandera, Johnson (7) and Ter. Jacks. Brown, Fredinburg (3), Enomoto-Haole (6) and Zavala. WP – Mandera (7-2). LP – Brown (4-1).
2B – R: Warmouth, Lucido (2), Tre. Jacks. HR – R: Townsend, Mandera. SS: Doten.