By Jeremy McDonald
jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
TURNER, Ore.– Entering their series finale in Sweet Home Thursday, the bats of Cascade erupted Wednesday to set the Cougars up for their first Oregon West Conference series win since sweeping Sisters in early April.
Their 18 runs in their 18-5 win over the Huskies were their highest run total of the season and the most runs they’ve scored since their second-game versus the Outlaws on April 3 where they scored 10 runs.
“We just had the bats going this game, it helped us a lot there. It felt great to finally score some, it was good,” said Caleb Boyles on the offense.
Boyles got two of his three RBI in the first inning as Cascade opened the game with a 4-0 lead and 5-0 after two. But Sweet Home answered, getting a run off a Zach Luttmer single and three after a Colton Smith connected on a curve ball for three-runs to make it 5-4 entering the bottom of the third.
With the injuries that the Cougars are suffering, affecting their depth in pitching and in the field, they were a play away here and a play away there if it wasn’t for that one inning. However, Wednesday’s game proved to be one of those games in which they showed why they’re hovering just on the bubble of the playoff picture in 4A.
The run they got back in the bottom of the third wasn’t anything compare to the 12 runs they scored in the fourth inning to turn a 6-4 ballgame into a 18-4 lead. The game of baseball was just going their way in this one inning.
“It’s nice, it’s been tough. We’ve been falling apart and it’s been less than perfect, it was nice to get it back rolling and hopefully continue this winning streak. Finish strong through league and get ourselves a playoff spot, that’ll be nice,” said Ethan Coffey.
Coffey settled back down after giving up the homerun in the third inning, only allowing one run outside of the tough four-run inning in the third. A good improvement defensively as they look to polish off their first series win in a few weeks.
“I think if we hit as well as we did today. I mean we hit as well as we have all year, if we can continue hitting I think we can keep going this winning streak and hopefully polish up the infield and the errors. It feels really good to have a win,” said Coffey, who allowed five hits in the win.
Boyles, Chance Tobiasson and Will Ramos each had two hits apiece. Tommy McGuire also contributed three RBIs in the win.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
