By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

AURORA, Ore.–  Third game in and the North Marion baseball team may have etched out a groove for them to build from moving forward into the 2023 season.

Donning their new-school version of the old retro Huskie uniform, their defense was there with intensity.  Dawson Schrenk went five innings, striking out four and his defense held Crook County to a run on three hits and kept the errors to a minimum as their patience on the offensive side showed.  Slowly turning a 2-1 lead into the 7-1 final result that they ultimately got by game’s end.  Schrenk had one of his 2RBI’s early on and Rex DeAngelis hit a solo shot in the third inning before the Cowboys cut the deficit in half in the fifth.

“We needed to stay mentally ready…this was our third game of the week and we knew we had to play with our minds.  We need to be ready for the league season where we play three games in one week and it really helped in the end,” Schrenk said.  “It was good to see us pull away at the end of the game.  Our first two games we didn’t play like our true selves, but this game really showed what we will do in these next few games.  We know the potential of this team, we have a lot to prove this season and I think we’ll do that this year.

“We didn’t get the job done last year because we lost to Mazama (in the 4A State Quarterfinals) last year.  A lot of those guys are returning to this team, we want to improve from last year and we definitely have a shot to make the Championship.”

Schrenk scored twice in the bottom half of the fifth inning to give the Huskies a 4-1 cushion going to the sixth inning.  An RBI single that brought DeAngelis home before Schrenk took home on a pick-off move at third missed its mark.  North Marion tacked on two runs off a passed ball in the sixth, before Blaine Smith picked up an RBI off a Fielder’s Choice to hand the hometown squad a comfortable cushion as Jayden Ohlman and Landon Fowler closed out the victory on the bump in the sixth and seventh innings respectively.  The two juniors picked up a strikeout apiece in the inning that they pitched with the squad finally picking up some wind in their sail going into Week 2 of the season.

“It was nice.  We put in the work, the energy and everything, it was nice to play that last inning, maybe a little more relaxed.  It was nice to play a little more laxed.  This group of guys, we bounce off of each other’s energy really well.  The more good that happens, the more good that it’s going to happen.  We got a win here, now let’s ride that momentum on and keep going,” DeAngelis said.

Austin Vaughan struck out four in two-and-two-third innings pitching for Crook County.  Hayden Forman, Tyson Martinez and Gabe Love each had a hit in the game for the Cowboys, who will host Ridgeview on Tuesday.  North Marion hosts Marist Catholic Monday at 5pm.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald