ROSEBURG – The opening doubleheader of the Doc Stewart’s American Legion summer baseball season felt a lot more like a spring ball game. Playing through plenty of rain, the Doc’s were only able to finish one of two games against the visiting Mid-Valley Southpaws.

Game one got out to a slow start as both starting pitchers kept the hitters off balance, but Mid-Valley held off a late charge by the Doc’s to win 4-2 in the opener. The Southpaws jumped out to a 7-0 lead in game two and led 7-1 when the game was called due to rain in the bottom of the fourth. The teams did not play the required number of innings to make the second game official.

Will Shaw and Curtis Zamora battled to open game one. Shaw pitched four scoreless inning for the Doc’s, while Zamora tossed five scoreless frames for the Southpaws.

Mid-Valley finally broke through in the fifth, when the Doc’s went to the bullpen. Bailey Johnson took over for Shaw and walked the leadoff hitter and then gave up back-to-back singles to Cade Perrizo and Jayce Lien, who drove in the first run of the game. A bases loaded walk later in the frame made it 2-0 for the Southpaws.

Johnson gave up two more runs in the sixth on a groundout and a wild pitch and Mid-Valley led 4-0 going to the bottom of the seventh.

The Doc’s finally broke through against reliever Adam Rappe. Luke Lucido ledoff the seventh with a single and later scored on a one-out double by Zack Mandera. Spencer Six drove in Mandera with a single in the next at bat and the Doc’s trailed 4-2 with only one out.

Cody Johnson followed Six with a single to left field. Six went first to third on the play and with the throw to third, Johnson was able to advance to second and represented the trying run with only one out.

The Doc’s were unable to keep the comeback going, though, as Rappe got the next two hitters to groundout to shortstop to preserve the win.

Bailey Johnson took the loss in the opener, allowing four runs on three hits over two innings. Zamora earned the win for Mid-Valley.

The Southpaws jumped on Doc’s starter Zack Mandera in the first inning of game two. Mandera faced 11 batters and allowed seven runs on six hits. The Doc’s got a run back in the third inning, but the sky opened up in the bottom of the fourth and the game was called with the Doc’s trailing 7-1.

The game was called before it reached the minimum innings played and will not count against the Doc’s record.

Up next, the Doc’s will host the Salem Withnell Dodgers on Sunday for a single nine inning game. The contest starts at 1 p.m. Tune in for coverage of the game on CBS Sports Radio 1490 The Score or watch online at 541radio.com.

GAME ONE
Mid-Valley – 000; 022; 0 – 4; 7; 0
Doc Stewart’s – 000; 000; 2 – 2; 6; 2
Zamora, Rappe (6) and Cyrus. Shaw, B. Johnson (5), Lucido (7) and Six. WP – Zamora (1-0). LP – B. Johnson (0-1).
2B: Doc’s – Mandera