Chemeketa Baseball Drops First Two At Southwestern Oregon
The Storm playoff hopes take a hit but are still alive with two game remaining.
In game one, Southwestern Oregon edged out Chemeketa with a narrow 3-2 victory.
Chemeketa struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Jc. Klee singled to bring B. Hubble home. However, Southwestern Oregon responded in the third inning. C. DeSilva's single drove in the first run, followed by R. Okimoto reaching on a fielder's choice, which allowed T. Gray to score, giving the hosts a 2-1 advantage.
Southwestern added another run in the seventh inning with a single that brought K. Long across the plate, extending their lead to 3-1. Chemeketa attempted a comeback in the eighth inning when B. Hubble executed a sac fly to center field, driving in C. Leming to narrow the deficit to a single run. Yet, Southwestern Oregon held firm, maintaining their lead through nine innings to seal the win.
For Chemeketa T. Brenneman pitched seven innings, conceding three runs while striking out four and T. Rock closed the game with a spotless inning.
In game two Southwestern Oregon showcased a commanding performance to defeat Chemeketa with a final score of 8-2 in Coos Bay. Despite an even start, where both teams managed to score in the first inning, Southwestern Oregon steadily pulled ahead, fueled by solid batting and defensive play.
Chemeketa initially took the lead in the first inning, thanks to an RBI single from L. Kreisberg, bringing J. Genduso home. However, Southwestern Oregon swiftly responded with A. Yazawa scoring T. Gray on a single, leveling the game. The momentum shifted in favor of Southwestern Oregon in the second inning when an error by Chemeketa allowed T. Gray to score, giving them a 2-1 lead.
Southwestern Oregon continued to widen the gap in the third inning with D. Furuhata's RBI double, extending their lead to 3-1. Chemeketa attempted a comeback in the fifth inning with N. Crawford's RBI double, closing the score to 2-3. Nonetheless, Southwestern Oregon's bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth, where they tallied three crucial runs, aided by B. Benedicts' and D. Furuhata's timely hits, accompanied by defensive errors from Chemeketa.
Despite the loss, Chemeketa managed ten hits, with J. Genduso and C. Leming contributing three each on the game.