By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SCIO, Ore.– It was the start that they needed and it was the finish that they needed in Wednesday’s 8-7 victory over Blanchet.
Scio came out firing against the defending 3A State Champions to open their two-game 3A Special District 3 game at home. The Loggers, coming off a shutout inning, plated four runs on the Cavaliers and force Blanchet to go to their bullpen barely an out into the game.
“It felt great. We’ve been needing it for a while. We’re a lot better than our record shows for sure. It’s been taking a while for our bats to get rolling and off a good pitcher too, it was great,” said Scio’s Triston Garton. “Great team effort with it, I’m really happy with it. We competed with them, that’s important.”
Freshman Liam Fitzwater stared down the barrel that is the Blanchet Catholic offense and made them work for everything the Cavs got.
But the thing is too, that guy that the Loggers faced second, Lakaios Quintero, did the same thing too. The senior, in an extended relief appearance, allowed four runs over the five-and-two-third innings he pitched with six strikeouts. Slowing down Scio’s bats enough to pull even with the Loggers going into the bottom of the fifth inning tied at six at this point.
“It was a good chance, I love to give my offense a chance and hold the other team to zero runs for as long as I can. All great opportunities and great chances,” said Quintero. “We beat ourselves here, but as long as we keep the bats going and hold on defense, especially carrying over the motivation from this game, we’ll have an easier time.”
Momentum was against Scio at this point. They saw Blanchet go, in a baseball sense, a 6-2 run to make this thing a game late.
But. Instead of crumbling to the pressure, they refocused and went back to work.
They got a run back to pull ahead 7-6 going into the sixth inning. Arley LeBard came in for Fitzwater in the the top half of the sixth, Blanchet’s top of the lineup got a run across on him, but LeBard kept the Cavs to just one run that tied it up at 7.
Scio pushed one across in the bottom half of the sixth, off a Jayce Guzman sacrifice hit, to take a 8-7 lead into the final frame. That’s when LeBard and his Logger defense turned the quick three-up and down inning to close out the victory at home.
“Arley did his job. We all did our job. Pitchers did great, our defense did really good and was sound. Overall a really clean game,” said Garton.
The two squads meet again on Friday up in Salem.
Garton and Wesley Frame each drove in 2RBI’s for the Loggers, with Guzman, Frame and LeBard each collecting two hits for Scio. Sam Mosar and Nate Rauch each led the Cavaliers with three hits each.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
