Valley’s Bats Struggle In Fall Ball Premiere

By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

KEIZER, Ore.– The talented Valley Baseball Club arrived at Volcanoes Stadium Monday afternoon for their doubleheader in the 18U Baseball Tournament.

Coming off of their seventh and eighth-straight wins on August 22 against the Titans Baseball Club and the Stayton Bandits the VBC slowly jumped out to a 3-1 lead on the Sockeye club to start the twin-bill.

The pitching was there throughout the day, including in their opener as West Albany’s Simon Mathios’ eight strikeout performance in six-and-two-third innings. There was a weird feeling however getting back out on the diamond on this day after their 16-5-1 summer season.

West Albany’s Simon Mathios pitched six-and-two-third innings in Valley’s opener against Sockeye, striking out eight in his first outing since August 22 at Holland Youth Park (Picture By Jeremy McDonald)

“It was pretty rough to get started. It was kind of weird getting back on the field again after (the finish to Summer), but it was a rough day. I think we got to get passed this and get our bats rolling, that was the worst today,” said Mathios, who also went 1-for-3 with an RBI. “I think if we can get our bats going I’ll think we’ll be ok.”

Cody Wirth led the Valley offense, owning two of the squads eight hits, but a minor hiccup in the top half of the seventh inning allowed Sockeye to plate four runs and eek out the 5-4 victory over Valley. Denying a one-out bases loaded favoring Valley to only yield one run in return in the bottom half of the seventh inning.

In the second game, Valley plated a quick run in the first inning as Wirth followed a Danner Salisbury triple with a sac-hit as Ricky Alvarado and Chase Reynolds held the 503 Baseball Club Blue squad to two runs entering the sixth inning. However their offense that was so predominate over the summer in during the first game of the Fall, were slow down the stretch in the second game with three hits coming over the first six innings of the game.

Valley will play again at 2pm back at Volcanoes Stadium against Washington County (Picture By Jeremy McDonald)

Wirth’s single and doubles by Brandon Reed (two-run RBI) and Jamieson Martin (RBI hit) all came in the bottom of the seventh were outdone by 503’s six-run top of the seventh inning that put a damper on Valley’s return to the field on this day.

“We played kind of lackadaisical at first, but then I thought we finished off pretty well there at the end,” said Reed, who drove in 2RBI’s in the doubleheader Monday. “We just got to get the bats back. Pitching did good and our bats are what keeps us in the ball game so we just got to get those bats.”

Alvarado struck out seven and Reynolds contributed another three strikeouts in two innings of work. Cameron Louie and Tyler Minney saw action on the mound. Wirth was 3-for-6 with an RBI for Valley.

Valley will play again at 2pm back at Volcanoes Stadium against Washington County

Photos By Jeremy McDonald