Legion Baseball: Docs start Area 4 play with losses at Eugene

EUGENE — The Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s lacked the offense to keep up with the Eugene Challengers in the first Area 4 doubleheader of the American Legion baseball season on Friday at Swede Johnson Stadium.

Roseburg (0-3, 0-2 Area 4) briefly led in Game 1 of the twin bill, but Eugene (6-0, 2-0) quickly responded and pulled away for a 5-1 win. The Challengers scored in every inning of the night cap and rolled to a 12-1 win in five innings.

The Docs and Challengers meet for another league doubleheader at 6 p.m. Sunday at Champion Car Wash Field to wrap up the four-game season series.

Logan Anderson scored Roseburg’s only run of Game 1 after reaching base with a leadoff triple in the third. He scored on a RBI single by Danner Wertz to put the Docs ahead 1-0.

The Challengers rallied to score four times in the home half of the third inning against Wertz, who went five innings in the start and took his first loss of the summer.

A pair of hit batters and an error loaded the bases for the Challengers and Brock Johnson drove a double to the center field wall to plate a pair of runs and give Eugene a 2-1 advantage.

Gianni Lombardi followed with an RBI single and Duncan Roudabush pushed another run across home with a double that jumped right over first base and into the right field corner.

The lead was enough for Lombardi, who got the win with six innings of work. He allowed one run on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Anderson finished with two of Roseburg’s six hits. Johnson and Lombardi both had two hits and two RBI for Eugene.

The Challengers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2 and rolled from there for a 10-run rule victory.

Eugene scored in every inning and built a 12-0 lead before the Docs finally scored in the top of the fifth on a throwing error. Wertz reached on a walk to start the frame and scored on a throwing error when Eugene tried to turn a game-ending double play.

Mike Buschelman quieted the Docs’ bats over five innings. He allowed three hits with four strikeouts and three walks to earn the win.

Eugene took advantage of 10 hits and seven walks. Johnson, Josh Berry and Colin Robbins all had two hits for the Challengers.

First Game

Roseburg;001;000;0;—;1;6;1

Eugene;004;010;X;—;5;8;0

Wertz, Schwerdt (6) and Bowers; Lombardi, Corgain (7) and Hazen. W — Lombardi. L — Wertz (0-1). 2B — Johnson (E), Lombardi (E), Roudabush (E). 3B — Anderson (R).

Second Game

Roseburg;000;01;—;1;3;2

Eugene;413;3X;—;12;10;1

Sprague, Coate (2), Gaylor (4) and Young; Buschelman and Corgain. W — Buschelman. L — Sprague (0-1). 2B — Corgain (E).