In the Media: North Marion in driver's seat
AURORA — Four games in four days?
No sweat.
North Marion capped off an impressive week of baseball with a 4-0 win over La Salle on Thursday night at La Salle High School, behind a complete game from pitcher Joe Piercey and a home run by Adam Hayden.
Coupled with Gladstone’s loss to Cascade, Thursday’s win clinched at least a share of the Capital Conference title for the Huskies.
It was also the team’s fourth consecutive game in as many days, as North Marion defeated Cascade 11-0 on Monday, Estacada 8-1 on Tuesday and Molalla 4-1 on Wednesday.
“Even though mentally and physically four games in four days like we played this week, is a little tough on players and teams … I really thought it was going to benefit us,” said North Marion coach Randy Brack, “because I thought we could get on a roll and get our bats going.”
The Huskies have now won six of their past seven games, including four in a row since dropping a 1-0 heartbreaker to Gladstone on April 28.
Brack said Thursday’s win over La Salle was possibly the best all-around game the Huskies played during the week, as the team tallied seven hits and took advantage of four La Salle errors.
On the hill, Piercey continued to dominate the rest of the league, holding the Falcons to two hits, while striking out 12. Against Cascade on Monday, he allowed three hits and one walk, while striking out nine.
While scoring runs has been North Marion’s biggest challenge all year, the Huskies have begun to swing the bats much better as of late, making solid contact and cutting down their strikeouts.
Jordan Miller’s two-out double with the bases loaded turned out to be the difference in Wednesday’s game against Molalla, and the Huskies also racked up 10 hits on Tuesday against Estacada, and one of the better pitchers in the league, according to Brack.
Meanwhile, Jordan Hopper held the Rangers scoreless for the remainder of the game, after surrendering one run in the bottom of the first inning.
Now, the team focuses its efforts on winning the conference title outright for the first time since 2005.
“It means everything,” said catcher Zach Borowczak, who transferred to North Marion from Molalla for his senior season. “I came over here for baseball. This is all I wanted and we have a chance for it.”
Borowczak ignited the North Marion offense on Monday, going 4 for 4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs against Cascade.
“We’re starting to come around a lot and becoming a better team,” he added. “Put the ball in play and good things will happen. Our pitchers and defense will do the job, we just need to hit the ball.”
The Huskies will close out the regular season with a road game on Thursday against Stayton, followed by a home game against Gladstone on Friday. Both games are scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
The No. 1 seed from the Capital Conference will host the No. 2 seed from the Greater Oregon League in a second-round state-playoff game May 22.