Only two games into the season, the Roseburg High baseball team has provided plenty of fireworks.
Junior Jordan White’s single to right field in the bottom of the eighth sent the Indians to a 7-6 victory over Ida B. Wells in a nonconference game at Bill Gray Legion Stadium at Champion Car Wash Field on Wednesday.
It was the second consecutive walk-off win for Roseburg (2-0). The Indians beat Sprague in their final at bats in the season-opener on Monday.
“That felt good,” said White. “Glad I could do that for the team.
For a second straight game, the @RoseburgHS baseball team walks off with a win. Jordan White came through with the game-winning single, capping an 4-run 8th inning and a 7-6 victory over Ida B. Wells. #UmpquaPreps #opreps pic.twitter.com/3SMElnAjOB
— 1490 The Score (@KSKRTheScore) March 17, 2022
Wednesday, Roseburg had to overcome a steeper challenge than in its previous walk-off win. After giving up a one-run lead in the sixth, RHS found itself trailing 6-3 in extra innings.
Ida B. Wells (0-1), out of the Portland Interscholastic League, capitalized on an error and some erratic pitching to score three times in the top of the eighth inning.
The momentum was all on the Guardians’ side and it looked as if they might steal a road, come-from-behind victory.
Roseburg’s bats had struggled most of the game to take advantage of runners in scoring position, but the Indians got hot at the right time.
Dawson Gillespie hit a one-out triple to start the eighth inning comeback. A walk to Knox Hubbard put two runners on base and Silas Kincaid drove them in with a double to the left field fence.
The Indians tied the game on a wild pitch and a walk put the game-winning run on base. White’s single scored Dominic Tatone from second and shot the Tribe out of the dugout for another celebration on the field.
The game-winning hit came in White’s first at bat of the season.
“The bottom line is a win is a win and you’ll take them whenever you can get them,” said Roseburg coach Troy Thompson, who noted that the Indians left nine runners stranded in scoring position.
“Despite our lack of offense with runners on base, part of that is good because we’re getting on base and then the other part of that is we’re going to continue to work at trying to get base hits with runners on base. That’s something early in the year to focus on and throughout the year.”
Gillespie went 3-for-3 for Roseburg, with two triples and two walks. Austin Takahashi was 3-for-5 on the night and has started the year 6-for-8 (.750).
Logan Klopfenstein got the win in relief. The senior faced just one batter in the top of the eighth and forced a pop-fly out to end the inning.
Quin and Davis Dufort and Jackson Miller each had two hits in the loss for Ida B. Wells.
Roseburg will next begin its annual spring break trip to central and eastern Oregon. The first leg of the trek will stop in Bend to face the Lava Bears on Saturday.
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Q. Dufort, Pettersen (4), Scott (7) and Roletto, Hammer (5); Corbin, Burke (6), Klopfenstein (7) and Hubbard. W — Klopfenstein (1-0). L — Scott (0-1). 2B — D. Dufort (I), Kincaid 2 (R). 3B — Gillespie 2 (R).
