Legion Baseball: Docs win, split series with Eugene behind St. Clair’s grand slam
One swing of the bat turned around the entire afternoon for the Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s at Bill Gray Stadium at Champion Car Wash Field on Tuesday.
The Docs were down to their final out in Game 2 of an Area 4 doubleheader against Eugene and looking to avoid a sweep after losing 9-6 in the first game.
Roseburg (9-11, 3-5 Area 4) had scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to get within 5-3 and had the bases loaded, but needed a clutch hit to possibly force extra innings. Dane St. Clair not only got the two runs needed to tie the game, but sent the Stewies to victory with a walk-off grand slam that secured a 7-5 win and a split in the season series with the Challengers.
“Off the bat I thought it was a ground-rule double, but then it just kept on carrying,” St. Clair said following his first home run of the season. “I was like ‘oh wait, it’s got a chance’.”
“I just kind of blacked out when I saw it went over the fence. I was like ‘this is crazy.’ I just couldn’t believe it,” St. Clair said.
The lefty from Roseburg High School finished Game 2 with three hits and four RBIs. His blast over the right field fence gave the Docs a season series split with Eugene (28-3, 2-2).
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The Challengers had built a 5-0 lead in the second inning off of Docs starter Ty Hellenthal, who pitched six innings and allowed five runs on 11 hits. Hellenthal was able to rebound from the rocky half-inning to keep Eugene off the scoreboard the rest of his time on the mound.
Roseburg got a run back in the third inning on a two-out single by Logan Anderson that scored Jake Johnson, who led off the frame with a single against Eugene starter Jayden Lucas.
“No one was down in the dugout when we came in down by four. We just all came together. Coach told us to keep our heads up and we kept on grinding,” St. Clair said.
Lucas kept the Docs off balance over six innings, allowing just the one run on four hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
The bullpen let down the Challengers in the seventh. Kyle Miller entered and gave up a walk and hit a batter to begin his outing. A strikeout was followed by another walk and an RBI single by Cal Robbins that got the Docs within 5-2.
Miller recorded a second strikeout, but gave up another run on a bases-loaded walk to Tauj Flora. Eugene brought in Brock Johnson needing just one more out to secure the win, but three pitches later the Docs were the team celebrating at home plate. Miller took the loss for the Challengers.
Eugene saw its six-game winning streak come to an end with the loss. The Challengers have only lost three times this summer, but two of those have come against the Docs.
The opener was another tight affair. Both teams scored three runs in the first inning and the Docs led 4-3 through four innings. The Challengers built a lead with six runs over the final three innings.
Roseburg brought the game-tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh but were unable to manufacture the runs needed to keep going.
Paxton Burke was 4-for-5 in Game 1 with a pair of RBIs. Brady Bousquet, Miller and Caiden Gould all had two RBIs for Eugene.
Up next, Roseburg heads to Eugene to play in the Papa’s Pizza Invitational, hosted by the Eugene Challengers. The tournament starts with pool play Wednesday and runs through Sunday at Swede Johnson Stadium.
The Docs start out against the Portland Baseball Club at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
First Game
Eugene;300;041;1;—;9;10;2
Roseburg;310;020;0;—;6;10;0
Hernandez, Buschelman (2), Saunders (6) and Gould; J. Johnson, Reigard (5), Burke (5), St. Clair (6) and Robbins. W — Buschelman. L — Reigard (0-4). SV — Saunders. 2B — B. Johnson (E), Bousquet (E), Riddle (E).
Second Game
Eugene;050;000;0;—;5;11;0
Roseburg;001;000;6;—;7;6;0
Lucas, Miller (7), B. Johnson (7) and Corgain; Hellenthal, Shaver (7) and Bowers. W — Shaver (1-0). L — Miller. HR — St. Clair (R).
