By Jeremy McDonald
jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
Noah Boatwright called everyone but Noah Ferguson and Brock McMullin into the dugout together to tell them that their one-run second inning was just one bad inning.
Boatwright also said go out there to score five more runs there in the third inning as Ferguson singles. The Dodgers would score three in that third inning in their 17-7 five-inning win over Federal Way in their nightcap at Reno High School.
It was trying to get them mentality focused in the back-end of their doubleheader, winning 14-0 earlier against NBO Sacramento in five innings with Andrew Rogers striking out six in the victory; but in the bottom half of the inning, what the North Salem-graduate was telling them was needed entering the fourth inning.
“Oh it’s all mental. You got to have the right mindset to go into each play, know what you are doing every play,” said Cole Herschbach as their 9-1 lead was reduced to 9-7.
It was eerie similar to their game against Carson in which their 11-2 lead was cut down to size before Withnell pulled away in that 14-9 win.
In Friday night’s game, the Dodgers slowly loaded up the bases with one out with Herschbach coming to plate. Faced with a 3-1 count, the Sprague-graduate found the gap in Right Field to clear the bases to hand a nice breathable 12-7 lead following his at-bat in an inning in which the Dodgers led 14-7 by the end of the fourth.
“It was great, recently I’ve been trying to hit the ball hard anyway,” said Herschbach, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI’s in the two wins. “In that situation we need to get something going because we’ve been down mentality. We really need something to spark a fire.”
Withnell scored three more runs in the fifth as they scored a ‘crooked’-number in eight of their ten innings played Friday in Nevada. Will DeLoretto and his defense polished off the run-rule victory as the Dodgers take on Damonte at Damonte Ranch High School Saturday afternoon and finish up with Klamath Falls at 6pm back at Reno High School.
