Huskies light up scoreboard in 16-3 win
AURORA, Ore. - After all the mishaps of Monday, Wednesday was a great way to lighten the mood around the North Marion baseball program. Without the talents of Coaches Randy and Ty Brack, the Huskies had a large hill to climb, especially with the recent improvement in play from Estacada. However, whether it be the players' own decision making, or looking to the guidance of acting head coach Joe Shepherd or renowned high school baseball coach Dave Gasser, who was an acting assistant, North Marion boasted their largest offensive performance of the season to sweep the Rangers with a 16-3 win in five innings Wednesday night at Bob Brack Stadium.
After an unbelievable game-ending call on Monday night in Gladstone, coaches Randy and Ty Brack were ejected from the contest and forced to sit Wednesday's game out. With all the publicity that North Marion has gotten as of late due to the field circumstances, the winningest coach in all of Oregon High School Baseball history - in Dave Gasser - came down to check out the situation. After discussions about the field, it was arranged that he would assist JV Coach Joe Shepherd in the coaching of the Estacada game, loaning the Huskies a great, knowledgeable coach in the absence of the real coaches. In the end, new faces in the Huskies' dugout did not matter as North Marion cruised to the win.
To open up the game, the Rangers quickly recorded two base hits. But other than that, nothing notable was accomplished by Estacada and they went down with no runs across in the top of the first.
North Marion, in their first chance at bat, posted a three-run inning, but that would pale in comparison to some of the innings they would have later on in the game. Nonetheless, Kyle Williamson started the inning with a bang as he tripled deep down the right field line. Brandan Hopper hit to nearly the same location, and he pushed Kyle around with the double. Tristan Wampole continued the hitting spree with a very well-hit ball to deep, center field, rolling all the way to the fence and allowing Hopper to walk home if he had chosen to. Wyatt Moore started off a career day from the dish with a single and an ensuing walk drawn by Danny Robles loaded the bases, which meant a balk by Estacada's hurler scored another run, ending North Marion's first-inning scoring.
As the Huskies have struggled with doing all season long, they let their opponent crawl back into the game after they have a strong offensive inning. This held true as Estacada matched North Marion's run total with
three of their own to tie the game.
Into the bottom of the third with the score knotted at three, Wampole led off the inning. Let's just say this leadoff at bat by Tristan wouldn't be the only time he would step into the batter's box in the third, signifying an amazing inning for NM. Tristan singled down the right field line, which was beginning to be a popular place in Wednesday's game. On the heels of Tristan's single, Wyatt earned his second hit of the day when he doubled to deep right-center field, pushing across Wampole. The hits and runs continued to flow in, as Robles scored Moore with a single to left. Barrell singled to place runners in scoring position for Breshears, whose single to left plated both runners on base. Brock would later score on a wild pitch. Wyatt picked up two RBIs with yet another hit with the bases loaded, as he drove a ball to left-center field and gave the Huskies a 10-3 lead, closing out a seven-run, six-hit inning.
After Breshears' minor struggles early on, he smoothed things out quickly and continued to hold Estacada nearly silent throughout the whole five innings.
The team knew the offensive production needed to continue, after leading by nearly this amount at 10-4 a few weeks prior vs. the same Rangers, and giving up that entire lead. They delivered with another huge inning. Barrell, Kyle Williamson, Zach Williamson, Wampole, Moore, and Robles all singled in the inning while Patterson and Hopper were both productive with a walk drawn and a sacrifice fly, respectively. When all was said and done in the fourth inning, the Huskies had added an additional six runs on six hits.
North Marion's defense closed things out in the top of the fifth, to reach the minimum amount of innings required for the mercy rule to come into effect, as the Huskies knocked off the lowly Rangers 16-3.
Good-looking numbers were all over the stat sheet, but none were prettier than the ones next to the name of Wyatt Moore. Wyatt had four hits including three singles and a double. Coinciding with his hits were two runs scored and three RBIs, as he continues to pace the team in the RBI category. All but one Husky notched base hits on the day, as Emry Patterson did not record a base knock, but had an respectable day nonetheless with a perfectly-placed bunt and a walk drawn. Six of the nine starters had multi-hit days, including the four from Moore and three from Wampole. Both Kyle and Zach Williamson also highlighted the box score with triples, marking the second and third triples of the season for North Marion. As a team, the Huskies ended with 17 hits to achieve their 16 runs.
On the mound, Brock was solid once again in his five innings of work, allowing just five hits and three runs, while walking only a single Ranger and striking out four. Breshears finished the game 67 pitches later, earning himself the complete game win.
The amazing offensive numbers impressed not only the interim coaches, but both Coach Bracks when they resurfaced at the conclusion of the game. North Marion evens their league record once again, and will close out the regular season Friday as the Madras White Buffaloes pay a visit to Bob Brack Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 5pm. Although it is still too early to tell, at time of press the Huskies would be scheduled for an away play-in game either in Astoria or Scappoose, depending on which team finishes in the Cowapa #2 position. However, a win against the White Buffaloes on Friday could do wonders for the team in terms of their prospective playoff opponents.