American Legion Baseball: Roseburg picks up first league win with split at Eugene
EUGENE — Roseburg Dr. Stewarts (4-7, 1-3) split a doubleheader against the Eugene Challengers (21-2, 1-1) with a come-from-behind 7-4 win in Game 1 before the bats went cold in a 7-1 loss in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Swede Johnson Stadium.
The Game 1 win was the first of Area 4 play for the Stewies after losing both games of a twin bill at Medford last week.
Errors and timely defense were the ironic themes in the opener. Both teams combined for seven errors in Game 1 of the doubleheader, with the twist of great defensive plays the difference in match one. Roseburg’s Danner Wertz and Eugene’s Kyle Miller went toe-to-toe in the first three innings before the turf terror was unleashed in the bottom of the 4th.
A bad hop got to Paxton Burke, and three straight Challenger singles kick-started the inning for Eugene. After two runs came in, the defense was able to respond for Roseburg as the Stewies brought in the infield with a runner at third and proceeded to throw out two runners at the plate off who took off from third base on contact. In total, Roseburg threw out three runners at the plate in the game with the infield in.
“Anything that gets hit towards us, we just turn and look if they’re going from third, then we go home with it,” Burke said. “Definitely not an ideal thing letting in those runs because those runs could make a big impact later in the game.”
Those saved runs proved to be huge as Roseburg proceeded to score 5 runs in the top of the fifth on 3 hits and one costly two-out error that allowed 3 extra runs to come in for the Docs. The Stewies added runs in the 6th and 7th as well, aided by Eugene errors in each inning, as the Challengers allowed 5 unanswered runs in the contest and the Docs held on for the three-run victory
“It (the field) was horrendous if I’m being honest,” Burke said. “There were a lot of bad hops from all parts of the field, so I was just trying to play it slow but also not let them beat me. It was a hard field to play on.”
Wertz went the distance for Roseburg as the incoming sophomore had his second straight 7-inning performance, allowing just six hits and striking out three.
“Coming into the summer, I’ve been trying to get ahead against batters,” Wertz said. “That felt pretty good coming out and pumping the strikezone.”
Ty Hellenthal led the Stewies in Game 1 with 2 RBI’s going 1-for-3 in the win. Jake Johnson had two doubles in a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Logan Anderson reached base safely thanks to Eugene’s errors and scored both times for the Docs. Burke, who missed last weekend due to his brother’s wedding, went 2-for-4 in his return to the field.
“It felt pretty good to be back out there with my teammates,” Burke said. “Felt like a pretty long weekend because I’m so used to playing every day, so I’m just happy to be back.”
The celebration was short-lived for the Docs as Eugene bounced back in Game 2 to shut down the Docs’ offense for a 7-1 win.
Anderson had a single in the first for Roseburg and scored on an Eugene error to give the Docs an early 1-0 lead, but the Challengers scored two runs in the bottom of the first and never let go as the Docs’ offense struggled against Eugene’s starter Colin Hernandez. The southpaw and recent Thurston graduate did not allow a runner after the first inning and struck out 10 of the last 13 batters he faced before being pulled in the sixth just ahead of the 75 pitch limit.
Fellow Colt Grady Saunders hit Anderson, the first batter he faced, with a pitch in the sixth to give the Docs their first base runner since the opening inning, but Saunders recorded the final five out, striking out three in the process, sending the Docs home with a one-hit loss in the nightcap. Miller, who had the loss in Game 1 for Eugene, went 2-for-4 at the plate with 3 RBI’s to power the Challengers’ offense.
Roseburg had a quick turnaround when it faced the Corvallis Marketmen on Thursday to begin play at the Coach K Classic at Eagle Point.
The doubleheader on Wednesday kicked off a stretch of 11 games in six days as the Docs have one game Thursday, two on Friday, one on Saturday and Sunday, and doubleheaders versus Medford and Eugene at home on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
All games can be heard on 92.3 FM or 1490 AM, or can be watched online with a live video simulcast at 541radio.com.
First Game
Roseburg 000 051 1 — 7 9 3
Eugene 000 220 0 — 4 6 4
Wertz and Robbins; Miller, Buschelman (7) and Gould. W — Wertz. L — Miller. 2B — Johnson 2 (R), St. Clair (R), Johnson (E), Bousquet (E).
Second Game
Roseburg 100 051 1 — 1 1 2
Eugene 202 22 1 — 7 9 1
Hartsell, Cheney (4), Sprague (6) and Bowers, Hellenthal (6). Hernandez, Saunders (6) and Hibler. W — Hernandez (3-0). L — Hartsell. 2B — Christ (E), Hartley (E). 3B — Miller.
