By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
STAYTON, Ore.– It wasn’t the start to the season that the Post 58 Crushers were hoping for, but there were glimpses of greatness there coming out of their first game of the year.
The Crushers opened the season against the R9 Preps squad, a travel ball team out of Albany, and the R9 squad came out swinging. The visiting squad scored five first inning runs to start before Post 58 started to slow them down over the second, third and fourth innings.
“We started off hot with the bats, especially with Roy Corpus going on the hill for us, I think we started off real well,” said R9’s Ryder Robinson, an incoming junior at West Albany.
“Today, we’re still learning each other and learning the feel. Learning and creating bonds that will help us,” said Post 58’s Brody Panuke.
Panuke, a Kennedy-grad, got the Opening Day nod and struck out five batters on the hill before Scio’s Braxton Carlson came in for relief for the final three innings of the game.
The Crushers cut the deficit to a manageable 6-2 one going into the fifth, and it stood entering the sixth. But the R9 Preps squad began to time out Carlson in the sixth as they began to pull away for good down the stretch in the 14-2 victory.
“We just stayed in flow with it. This team is really a relaxed team,” said Robinson, who drove in 4RBI’s in the victory.
The R9 Preps squad, in their season opener as well, drove in 13 runs on 12 hits on the day as they start their Summer schedule.
For the Crushers, who saw Hayden Lulay lead the offense with 2RBI’s on two hits, they’ll have a quick turnaround as they’ll play the Wet Soxs on Saturday for a twin-bill starting at 9am at Regis High School.
“Winning one of those games tomorrow will be huge. It’ll boost our confidence. We’re definitely excited, a good group of guys,” Panuke said.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
