Baseball
Recaps
COTTAGE GROVE went 0-3 last week against the North Bend Bulldogs. It started on Tuesday when North Bend pulled away with a 14-0 victory, when the Bulldogs made 9 runs within the third and fourth innings. In Game One in their doubleheader on Friday, the Bulldogs piled up 8 runs for an 8-2 win. North Bend pitcher Luke Wheeling took the victory for the Bulldogs when the pitcher struck out 14. In Game Two, the Lions lost 6-3 as a result of a last-minute explosive seventh inning by North Bend. Initially, the Lions led 3-2 after the third inning after 2 runs in the bottom. It started when Evan Emmick hit a triple, and the next batter, Nolan Spear, hit a ground ball and reached first on an error, which allowed Emmick to score. Then Micah Spear grounded into a double play and Nolan reached home. Standout was Emmick, who went 3-for-2 with one run for the Lions.
■ CRESWELL began the Mountain Valley Conference with a 2-1 record last week. It started with a dominating 13-1 victory against the Harrisburg Eagles, where the Bulldogs hit the ground running with 10 runs in the first inning. Matthew Jenkins went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Deacon Edwards went 2-for-2 with two runs and 1 RBI. On the mound, Jaxon Pelham allowed two hits and struck out eight. The Bulldogs then went 1-1 in their doubleheader against Pleasant Hill on Friday.
■ PLEASANT HILL went 2-1 in its first week of the Mountain Valley Conference. On Tuesday, they went 13-3 with Elmira when they made 9 runs within the third and fifth innings. Cohen Fenley went 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs and pitcher Judah Kelso struck out three. Then, Billies went 1-1 against the Bulldogs on Friday.
■ SPRINGFIELD went 1-2 last week against Eagle Point in the first week of the Midwestern League. It started with a tight 7-6 victory against the Eagles on Tuesday. The Millers were the first to get on the board with one run in the bottom of the third and rallied with 5 runs total in the seventh and eighth for the win. Timothy James went 4-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. On the mound, Trevin Moore allowed four hits and struck out five. The Millers then lost both games 13-0 in their doubleheader against the Eagles on Saturday, with the Eagles scoring 11 runs in the first inning in Game One.
■ THURSTON sustained its undefeated run in the Midwestern League when the Colts went 3-0 against North Eugene last week. In the Colts’ first 6-0 victory on Tuesday, Braden Corgain went 3-for-2 with two runs. Standout was the starting pitcher Grady Saunders, who gave up no hits, no runs, and rang up 16 strikeouts. In Game One (7-2) in their doubleheader on Saturday, Brock Johnson went 3-for-2 with two runs and an RBI. Standout for Game Two in an 8-1 victory was Connor Molony, who went 3-for-2 with a run.
Previews
#21 COTTAGE GROVE (6-8)
■ Leading off: The Lions host Marshfield this week in a Sky-Em doubleheader this Friday. Both teams have had a mixed non-league season with highs and lows, though Marshfield (3-6) is currently trailing behind Cottage Grove in league. If the Lions are to achieve a higher spot in Sky-Em, dominating the Pirates is crucial.
#21 CRESWELL (7-7)
■ Leading off: The Bulldogs host Sisters in a Mountain Valley Conference doubleheader tomorrow. The No. 5 Outlaws will be quite the formidable league foe. Watch for the individual plays of Colton Hartman, who went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI against Harrisburg last week and Matthew Jenkins, who went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Pitcher Jaxon Pelham will most likely be on the mound – he struck out eight at Harrisburg.
#22 PLEASANT HILL (6-6)
■ Leading off: The Billies pack their bags and load the bus to La Pine on Friday. The Hawks will play host to a late afternoon doubleheader. The No. 22 Hawks have experienced a similar season to the Billies – a late start with many ups and downs. Last season, the Billies went 1-2 with La Pine.
#30 SPRINGFIELD (2-9)
■ Leading off: The Millers hit the road to Ashland for a Midwestern League doubleheader on Saturday. Last season, the Millers went 0-3 with the Grizzilies and the Grizzilies landed No. 3 in league.
#2 THURSTON (12-2)
■ Leading off: The Colts travel to Eagle Point for a Midwestern League doubleheader on Friday. The Colts went 3-0 last year against the Eagles. The Midwestern League champions should have no trouble with the Eagles, though Dennis Minium hopes the Colts won’t become complacent and is trying to instill a work ethic and desire to improve in every single game.
Softball
Recaps
■ COTTAGE GROVE competed in a Sky-Em League matchup by going 1-2 against North Bend last week. In the Lions’ first 11-10 loss on Tuesday, they fought back after falling behind five runs with five runs in the top of the sixth. But the Bulldogs sealed the deal with a final run in the bottom sixth. Addison Hitt went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. The Lions then won 4-3 in Game One in their doubleheader on Friday. Jayda Bruner went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. On the mound, Emily Pacheco surrendered 3 hits and three runs while striking out 11 batters. The Lions then lost in Game Two (11-10) when the Bulldogs finished off with 6 runs in the top of the seventh. Kylee Cordin went 2-for-4 with 2 runs and two RBIs.
■ CRESWELL started the Mountain Valley Conference 2-1 last week. It started when the Bulldogs lost 15-1 against Harrisburg / Monroe when the Eagles scored 6 runs in the top of the first inning. However, the Bulldogs then went 2-0 in their doubleheader against Pleasant Hill. Kaylee Waller led the Bulldogs to victory in Game One (19-11), where she went 5-for-5, driving in 8 runs on five hits. She also scored 4 runs herself with 8 RBIs. In Game Two (21-7), the Billies expanded the lead further with a 21-7 win with 8 runs in the top of the second. Waller went 3-for-4 with 4 runs and 3 RBIs. Elise Thackara went 2-for-3 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs.
■ PLEASANT HILL went 0-3 in its first week of the Mountain Valley Conference. It began with an 11-8 loss to Elmira / Mapleton. Acadia Bloxman went 2-for-1 with two runs and one RBI against the Falcons. In Game One against the Bulldogs, Alexis Pardee went 3-for-5 with two runs. Erin McAllister went 2-for-4 with three runs. In Game Two, Bloxman earned two runs and struck out 6 in three innings.
■ SPRINGFIELD went 0-3 with the Eagle Point Eagles last week and earned only four runs total within the three games. In Game One (11-2) in their doubleheader on Saturday, Emma Patrick-Busby went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Chloe Sankey and Lillian Wobbe combined for 6 strikeouts. In Game Two (22-2), Wobbe went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
■ THURSTON is dominating the Midwestern League and went 3-0 last week against North Eugene. On Tuesday (11-3), Gaby Montes went 4-for-5 with 2 runs and an RBI. Payton Tovey went 3-for-4 with 3 runs and Kasey Ogan went 2-for-2 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs. In Game One of Friday’s doubleheader (11-5), Rosie Montes went 2-for-2 with 2 runs, 2 hits and an RBI. In Game Two (9-6), Gaby Montes went 4-for-4 with 2 runs and an RBI.
Note: All statistics from GameChanger.com
Previews
#22 CRESWELL (6-5)
■ Leading off: The Bulldogs welcome the Sisters Outlaws to their field on Friday. The Outlaws have struggled this season and are currently ranked second-to-last in 3A with a 2-11 record. This should be a spring breeze for the Bulldogs looking to increase their ranking and league record.
#34 PLEASANT HILL (1-9)
■Leading off: The Billies head to La Pine on Friday. La Pine is currently the lowest-ranked team in Class 3A at 1-11. Though the Billies have had a rocky start themselves with weather cancellations, spring break delay, and a younger, inexperienced team this season.
#28 SPRINGFIELD (4-8)
■ Leading off: The Millers travel to Ashland for a doubleheader against the Grizzlies. The Grizzilies are ranked tightly with the Millers and have had a similar season. Last season, the Millers went 0-3 with the Grizzlies. Look for Avorie Schneider and Chloe Sankey.
#2 THURSTON (11-2)
■ Leading off: The Colts hit the road to Eagle Point this Saturday. The Colts are on fire in the Midwestern League with an undefeated streak thus far. The Eagles should be a spring breeze for the Colts. Look for Gaby Montes, who went 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI against North Eugene last week. Also, Kasey Ogan owns the mound – she struck out eight last week against North Eugene.
