By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.– Coming off of their 12-2 victory to open their Area-3 Doubleheader on Wednesday, the Corvallis Marketmen spent no time carrying that momentum over to game 2 of the doubleheader at Sprague High School.
The Marketmen scored seven runs in the seventh inning to put to bed the Game 1 victory, and by the end of the second inning of Game 2, they led 6-0. Corvallis scoring all six runs in the top half of the second inning to give Jaden Fifhause some breathing room in what became a Complete Game effort by the West Albany arm.
“It was huge. It gave me a lot of confidence. Getting ahead and staying ahead was huge,” Fifhause said, the recent Bulldog-grad striking out four batters pitching. “We definitely came out a little slow, but we got it done. We have to continue to bring the energy, and continue to work hard.”
Cole Bartels, a recent graduate out of Sprague, found a way to settle himself down as he continued to pound the zone. That six-run inning was the lone crooked number he and the Wellcare (formerly Withnell) Dodger defense held the Marketmen offense to two runs the remainder of the game.
It gave their offense, that was off in the opening game, an opportunity in Game 2. They scored twice in the bottom half of the fourth to pull back within four, down 6-2, going into the fifth.
Corvallis, who’s bats found the gaps in that second inning, were able to produce enough down the stretch with a run in the fifth and in the sixth
“I just had to get my confidence up. I couldn’t let anything get to me, I got to be mentally strong, keeping the confidence and let my defense play behind me, pitch as well as I can,” said Bartels. “I felt like we could’ve taken that game, it felt pretty good to come off of that (inning) and give up two more. We have to work hard so we can take the series against the Dungies. A lot of defensive work and some situational work when we’re out there and on defense. We have to limit our mental errors.”
Bartels collected two hits and drove in a run for the Dodgers, Tanner Antone hit a solo Home Run for Wellcare in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Andrew Street, J. Braten and Blake Linton each collected two hits in Game 2. Ben Weiss led Corvallis with 3RBI’s in Game 1.
Wellcare will be off until Monday when they’ll travel to Newport to play the Mid-Coast Dungies. Corvallis will be off until Saturday when they’ll play the Baseballism Wet Sox.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
