ROSEBURG – The Roseburg baseball team picked up a confidence-building win over No. 1 ranked Westview Wednesday in the Indians’ final game before starting the state playoffs on Monday.
Roseburg (17-7; 12-6 SWC) snapped the Wildcats’ 16-game winning streak with a 3-2 walk off victory at Legion Field. Zack Mandera hit a ground ball to centerfield to drive in Garrett Russell and win the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Westview (23-3; 16-0 Metro) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off Roseburg starter Jace Stoffal, but the sophomore settled in and held the Wildcats hitless over his final three innings of work. Stoffal was lifted after five innings and allowed just two hits and one run, while walking one and striking out six.
Fellow Roseburg sophomore, Doran Gillespie, tied the game in the third inning with a solo home run over the left field fence. It was his first of the year.
Roseburg briefly took a 2-1 lead in the sixth, but Westview responded quickly and tied the game in the top of the seventh off of Cody Johnson. Ben Brauckmann led-off the inning with a double ad scored on a sacrifice fly by Jacob Cox.
The Wildcats went to their sixth pitcher of the game in the seventh. Freshman Braeden Munger took the mound and struck out the first hitter. He then issued back-to-back walks before getting another strike out.
Munger got Luke Lucido to two strikes and nearly forced extra innings, but Lucido fought back and earned a walk to load the bases. Mandera took a 1-1 pitch up the middle to score Russell from third and win the game.
Up next, Roseburg will host Sherwood on Monday in the first round of the state playoffs. The game is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. Follow the action on 1490 The Score or watch online at 541radio.com.
WHS 010;000;1 – 2;4;1
RHS 001;001;1 – 3;6;0
Weiss, Brauckmann (3), Cox (4), Williamson (5), Guerra (6), Munger (7) and Sakamoto, Mayer, Shipley. Stoffal, Mandera (6), Co. Johnson (7) and Jacks. W – Cody Johnson (3-2). L – Braeden Munger.
2B: Woods (W), Brauckmann (W), Moreno (W). HR: Gillespie (R).
