Prep Baseball: Roseburg cruises to sweep of South Eugene
The Roseburg Indians combined for 26 hits and overpowered the South Eugene Axe in a Southwest Conference doubleheader sweep Friday night at Champion Car Wash Field.
The Indians had to overcome early deficits in both games, but finished with big wins that ended early due to the 10-run mercy rule. The opener went to Roseburg 13-3 in six innings and the Tribe claimed a 14-4 victory in the nightcap in five innings.
South Eugene (0-11, 0-5 SWC) made the trip to Roseburg a day early as the game times were adjusted to avoid forecasted wet weather.
Roseburg (9-3, 6-0 SWC) has now won six consecutive games and is one of two teams with unblemished conference records.
The Indians scored on an error to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1, but South Eugene scratched out three runs in the third inning against starting pitcher Fletcher Coleman.
The top of the Axe’s lineup strung together three consecutive hits, with a double by Jonah Alexander driving in a pair and a passed ball scoring a third.
Coleman would settle in the rest of the way and allow just two more hits over the final three frames. The junior struck out six, walked five and earned his first win of the season.
Roseburg rallied for the win with 12 runs in the final three innings. A 9-run fifth inning broke the game open. Coleman had two hits in the frame, a single and a two-run double.
Coleman was 3-for-4 in the game with a triple, two doubles and two RBIs. Amos Bowers and Christian Korba both had two hits for the Indians.
Gino Humphrey led the Axe with three singles in three at bats.
South Eugene scored a run in each of the first two innings of Game 2 and led 2-1 before Roseburg plated five runs in the home half of the second and took the lead for good.
Nick Ruiz, Bowers and Danner Wertz all had triples in the second inning and Paxton Burke drove in a pair with a double to give RHS a 6-2 lead.
The Indians hit through the lineup for a second time in the third inning and added four runs.
Ruiz led off the frame with a triple to right field and scored as the relay throw got away. Three batters later, Burke hit an inside-the-park home run to right field.
Burke and Mason Young both went 3-for-3 in the game and Wertz was 2-for-2 with a pair of triples.
Korba got the win after pitching four innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Roseburg will visit the Sprague Olympians for a single nonleague game at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Salem.
First Game
South Eugene;003;000;—;3;8;4
Roseburg;100;291;—;13;12;1
Alexander, Aldrich (4), Brown (4) and Sherman; Coleman and Bowers. W — Coleman (1-0). L — Alexander. 2B — Alexander (S.E.), Coleman 2 (R), Bowers (R). 3B — Coleman (R).
Second Game
South Eugene;110;20;—;4;8;5
Roseburg;154;13;—;14;14;2
Donlon, Asunsolo (3), Sherman (5) and Grilli; Korba, Glasser (5) and Bowers. W — Korba (2-1). L — Donlon. 2B — Grilli (S.E.), Burke (R). 3B — Wertz 2 (R), Ruiz 2 (R), Black (R), Bowers (R). HR — Burke (R).
