By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
MEDFORD, Ore.– Junction City’s Kaden Shafer didn’t have the best of pitching games on Saturday to open the American League State Playoffs in Medford, but he still found a way to put the Corvallis Marketmen in a favorable position to win against Roseburg.
It was a shaky start for the future the Feather River College-commit, through the opening three innings of the game he surrendered four walks and a hit batter as Corvallis led the Doc Stewart’s 2-1 going into the fourth inning. But in the fourth inning, Shafer settled in as he turned a three-up and down inning.
His offense rewarded his efforts with a four-run in the bottom half of the fourth inning and Shafer turned another three-up and down inning. Momentum was on Corvallis’ side at this point with the Marketmen leading 6-1 going into the bottom half of the inning.
And from there, Corvallis just continued to churn offensively as they scored another five runs to close out the game in five innings, defeating Roseburg 11-1. Ben Weiss (Corvallis) led the offense with three hits and came within a Home Run of hitting for the cycle having collected a single, double and triple in the game.
Shafer, who came on late despite the slow start, pitched a one-hitter to help set up the eventual offensive on-slate late.
“It’s just putting faith in my defense. I tried a little too much at the beginning, but then I figured it out. I got weak contact and let my boys do their job,” Shafer said. “It was great, getting all the momentum on our side, bleeding them out.”
“(This Summer’s) been great, just been trying to get up to my full ability so I can go learn more and open a new chapter in my career and get ready for that,” Shafer added on how this summer has helped him.
Corvallis will play Medford in the Championship second round on Sunday night at Harry and David Field in Medford
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
