Docs shutout 6-0 by Eugene in Area 4 opener
The Area 4 league season started with a dud for the Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s American Legion baseball team.
Roseburg (2-2, 0-1 Area 4) managed just two hits in a 6-0 loss against the Eugene Challengers on Monday at Bill Gray Legion Stadium at Champion Car Wash Field.
“Not a day we want to repeat,” Docs coach Eric Savage said.
Eugene, the defending league champs, took advantage of two walks by Evan Corbin in the first inning to grab a 2-0 lead and that would be enough for pitchers Grady Saunders and Collin Hernandez.
Saunders, the Class 5A Pitcher of the Year, tossed four shutout innings before giving the game over to his high school teammate Hernandez, who picked up the save by facing just one over the minimum in the final three frames.
The Thurston High School products recorded four strikeouts each and issued a combined two walks. Saunders also hit a batter.
Corbin, Roseburg’s ace, was uncharacteristically erratic in his first start of the summer. He issued five walks, which forced him to work out of a number of jams early.
“I think Evan was putting too much pressure on himself. He really wants to take this club to the next level,” Savage said. “Evan’s going to be very good for us. He’s going to fall forward.”
Corbin left the game after the fourth, allowing three runs on four hits.
Eli Crist drove in the first run with a two-strike single to right field. Caiden Gould made it 3-0 in Eugene’s favor in the third with a sacrifice fly.
The Challengers stretched the lead to 5-0 with a pair of runs off Colton Siewell in the sixth. Crist plated the runs with his second base hit of the game.
Eugene (7-0, 1-0) added another insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single by Kyle Miller off of Brevin Harrison.
“I think we got complacent with Evan Corbin on the mound,” Savage said. “I think we just relaxed and got comfortable, hoping Evan was going to get the job done for us. Evan struggled and we weren’t just ready to compete every pitch.”
Savage said the team would get Tuesday off after three consecutive days of games, but he hopes the loss to Eugene was an eye-opener.
“Night in and night out, it’s a grind. I get that we can be tired and sore, but when we cross that line we’ve got to turn it on, because every day you can lose just by coming out flat. And that’s who we were today. We’ve got to be better than average everyday and today we were certainly average,” Savage said.
Dr. Stewart’s return to action on Wednesday at 5 p.m. with a 9 inning game against the Medford Mustangs at Jim McAbee Field at North Medford High School.
Eugene;201;002;1;—;6;9;1
Roseburg;000;000;0;—;0;2;1
Saunders, Hernandez (5) and Gould; Corbin, Siewell (5), Harrison (7) and C. Robbins. W — Saunders. L — Corbin (0-1). Sv — Hernandez. 2B — Hazen (E).
