
GRANTS PASS — Roseburg’s Evan Corbin spun a gem for a 3-0 win in Game 1 of a Southwest Conference baseball doubleheader against Grants Pass on Monday, but sloppy play in Game 2 led to a 10-3 loss for the Indians and a bitter end to the road trip.
“It’s always an adventure to say the least when you’re playing league doubleheaders,” Roseburg coach Troy Thompson said. “You get Game 1 and you think you have a chance to get Game 2 and it just didn’t happen for us in Game 2.”
Corbin notched his fourth consecutive complete-game victory in the opener against the Cavemen. The senior right-hander had a perfect game going through 4 2/3 innings and finished allowing just three hits while striking out seven and walking two.
It was also the second straight shutout win for Corbin.
Roseburg (8-2, 2-1 SWC) got runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, but Grants Pass starter Tyler Ireland worked around the trouble.
The Indians finally broke through against the Cavemen on a RBI single by Jayce Wilder in the third. Eli Jacobs drove in two more runs in the fifth inning after Hunter Fullerton and Austin Takahashi led off the inning with a pair of doubles.
The trip turned sour in the nightcap thanks to six errors and mental mistakes by the Roseburg defense.
Leading 3-1, Grants Pass (5-4, 2-1) broke open the game with three unearned runs in the fourth inning.
Jackson Tunick and Luke Morgan laid down back-to-back sacrifice bunt attempts that were mishandled at first base, allowing two runs to score and the inning to continue.
The Cavemen sealed the win with another four unearned runs in the sixth off of Tribe reliever Brevin Harrison. With the bases loaded, Roseburg had multiple overthrows after a bunt and every Grants Pass player would come around to score.
It was an uncommon performance by the RHS defense, Thompson said.
“It was certainly more (errors) than we’ve had, maybe on the year and it just all happened to show up in a few innings there,” he said.
“Good job by Grants Pass, putting the pressure on and continuing to play small ball. Our inability to make a play on those small balls turned into a big deal.”
The Indians left 10 runners on base in the loss. Takahashi, Jacobs and Jordan White drove in runs for the Indians.
Roseburg returns to play at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday with a home nonconference game against South Salem.
First Game
Roseburg;001;020;0;—;3;5;1
G. Pass;000;000;0;—;0;2;0
Corbin and Burke; T. Ireland and Osborne. W — Corbin (4-0). L — T. Ireland. 2B — Takahashi (R), Fullerton (R), Zavolta (GP).
Second Game
Roseburg;001;010;1;—;3;7;6
G. Pass;120;304;x;—;10;8;2
Takahashi, Harrison (5) and Burke; Morris, Morgan (6), Carnes (7) and Osborne. W — Morris. L — Takahashi (1-1). 2B — Takahashi (R).