By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

DALLAS, Ore.– This was one of those games that Silverton had just pieced it all together, clutched up and got the job done Friday afternoon against Mid-Willamette Conference opposition Dallas.  Matter of fact, so did the Dragons as the game came down to who would make that last stop for the win.

With both teams tied at 7-9 in league play and a .500-record in league still a possibility, both squads were chomping at the bit to do so.  The Foxes jumped out to a 1-0 lead, Dallas responded going ahead 2-1.  Silverton went ahead 5-2 only to see the Dragons tie things up at five going into the seventh inning.  Dallas saw Emiliano Roach go the distance, striking out eight and Owen Hess leading the offense with 3-for-4 hitting with 2RBI’s as both Seniors fought alongside their teammates on their Senior Day for the victory.

“We’re still proud, we worked hard and gave it all we could and I tried to throw the best I could.  My teammates tried to make plays, but we just couldn’t come out with the win.  Ended up jumping on them late, we should’ve gotten started earlier, but sometimes it’s how it rolls,” Roache said.  “We got to bring the energy earlier. We can get started later in the game, but we need to get started earleir in the game and bring the energy up and we’ll be fine.  Get the bats going early, getting them hot and we’ll get on top next time.”

The two teams will meet up again on Monday as the Dragons will look to spoil Silverton’s Senior Day themselves after how Friday’s game ended.  The Foxes scored twice more in the sixth to regain the lead thanks to a Nolan Horner single that drove two home.

The heat was on for Carson Waples to close out the game, coming in for Sawyer Enderle after Enderle’s five inning, seven-strikeout performance to start the game.  Waples got the first out,before Dallas’ Justin Hofenbredl tripled and was brought home by Wyatt Punzel on a fly-out.  Punzel’s RBI Sac-Fly would be the last score that Dallas would bring in as Waples picked up the final out via strikeout to close out the 7-6 victory, Silverton’s third-in-a-row going into Monday’s Regular Season Finale.

“Carson and Sawyer really threw well today and we really needed it, we’re trying to get to that league .500 to end the season.  So we’re just fighting for that in league right now,” Cade Wynn said.  “We haven’t had this mentality all year, we have it every now and again.  It’s just the energy really that helps us to get these wins.”

“It was good.  We had a couple of games back that we struggled and couldn’t get the rythtym going and finally the last few games we finally picked it up.  through McKay, that was a huge series and so I think we’re carrying on through this series,” adds Enderle.

Wynn went 3-for-4 in the win, Horner drove in 3RBI’s on 2-for-4 hitting and Brash Henderson contributed two hits as well..Hofenbredl collected two hits as well for the Dragons as first-pitch Monday will be at 5pm in Silverton.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald