by Wayne Lee – Sports Editor
The spring sports seasons are winding down as both the Eagle Point High School baseball and softball teams close out their respective seasons in search of a playoff berth. After traveling to Crater the week before and posting a win by both the Eagles and Lady Eagles, the two teams have been on a vastly different trajectories. The baseball team swept Crater and took two of three from the Churchill Lancers to even their record at 11-11 while the Lady Eagles have dropped their last five games, being outscored 29-10.
Baseball
The baseball team began the week hosting the Lancers and wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Ryan McFall led off with a walk and Cooper White singled to left. Collin Stockton laid down a bunt to advance the runners, and Sean McFall singled to right to drive in both runners for a 2-0 lead.
The Lancers came back in the top of the second with three consecutive singles to make it a 2-1 game, but that was as close as they would get. The Eagles answered right back in the bottom half with some more small ball. Again, a walk and a single put runners on and a sacrifice bunt moved them into scoring position. Skylar Tribur then stepped to the plate and lashed a two-run triple to right to make it a 4-1 game.
The Eagle Point offense wasn’t done yet. In the bottom of the third, Stockton reached on an error, was bunted to second by Sean McFall, and scored on a ground ball to short. A two-out walk to Mason DeVry and a Lancers error allowed another run to score, and Eagle Point led 7-1.
Churchill managed a run in the top of the fifth, but the Eagles added five more in the bottom half of the inning to end the game. Tribur led the offense going 2×3 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored. DeVry went 2×2 with a double, a walk, two RBI and three runs scored while Braden Nugent went 2×3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Sean McFall got the win throwing 4.1 innings, giving up just one earned run on seven hits with five strikeouts.
The Eagles then traveled to Churchill for a twin bill where Eagle Point dropped the opener 10-3 but erupted for a 22-7 wipeout in the closer. Eagle Point opened the first game with a one-out single and a walk before Nugent hit a double up the middle to drive in teammates White and Stockton. Unfortunately, they only scored once in the third and then watched the Lancers add two in the third, four in the fifth and three more in the sixth for the win.
The second game was a completely different story as the Eagles scored in five of seven innings for a very one-sided victory. It began with a three-run homer by Sean Mc Fall in the first inning. Nugent followed with a double and DeVry walked. Nugent advanced on a wild pitch and that’s when it went crazy. Long story short, multiple run downs involving several players resulted in Nugent scoring before the third out was recorded, and the Eagles led 4-0.
It only got worse in the top of the third for the Lancers as Eagle Point erupted for eight runs to go up 12-0. Stockton was hit by a pitch, Sean McFall walked, and a bunt single by Nugent loaded the bases. DeVry took one for the team after being hit by a pitch to drive in a run and Pierce singled to drive in another run. John Beals-Garcia singled to left to drive in a run, Ryan McFall singled to left to drive in another run and a bases loaded walk put the Eagles up 9-0. But they weren’t done yet. Sean McFall hit a bases-clearing double in the gap and it was all but over.
Churchill managed four runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Eagle Point outscored the Lancers 10-1 down the stretch to make it a rout. Nugent led the offense going 5×6 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Sean McFall went 3×4 with a double, two walks, three runs scored and a whopping seven RBI while Ryan McFall went 3×6 with a double, four RBI and three runs scored. The team closes out the season May 21 at North Eugene.
Softball
The Lady Eagles have been on a bit of a tailspin of late having lost five consecutive games that included three straight against Churchill. The first game saw the Lady Eagles unable to manifest any offense, dropping a 5-0 decision on May 12 where they managed just one hit and committed three errors in the game.
Churchill players on her way to scoring a run during
the second of two games played May 17. Photo by Dave
Ehrhardt
The team then traveled to Churchill where they dropped back-to-back 4-1 losses. The two games were vastly different but resulted in the same outcome. The opener saw Eagle Point score in the top of the first and not manage another hit for the rest of the game. The second game ended by the same 4-1 score despite the Lady Eagles outhitting the Lancers 10-2. It was defensive errors that allowed Churchill to score four runs on just two hits.
Brylee Leonardo took the loss in the first game while providing the team’s only hit. She threw six innings, giving up five hits, four runs (three earned) while striking out six and walking two.
In the second game, Allison Martin went 2×4 with a double and an RBI, Emaray Almaraz went 2×4, Naomi Jackson went 2×3 and Riley Jacoby went 1×2, walked twice and scored a run.
The Lady Eagles also close out the season with a pair of games May 21 at North Eugene and await to see if they qualify for the post season.
