TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers split with the Lewis & Clark River Otters after a bye week, using some late-game magic to make each game competitive.
How it Happened
Game 1
The Loggers got off to a tough start in game one, as the River Otters jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. After two Logger hit by pitches in the home half of the first, the Loggers were unable to get
Charlie Deggeller and
Ryan Spero across the plate. Lewis & Clark added another run in the top of the second, making it 3-0 early.
Despite giving up a couple of early runs, Logger pitcher
Charlie Decker started to find his groove. He pitched a pair of scoreless innings, keeping the Loggers in the game. He finished his day with 4.1 innings pitched, striking out one along the way.
Mason Seay then took over, striking out three in 3.2 innings of quality work for the Loggers. Despite giving up a run in the top of the sixth, Seay got out of a couple of jams to hold the River Otters close.
Puget Sound's offense struggled to get going the majority of the day, but finally found their groove in the bottom of the eighth inning. Spero walked to start the inning, and a double by
Cooper Allen sent Spero around to score.
Preston Crockett then doubled to send Allen home, and a single by
Jonah Velasco moved Crockett to third.
Jim O'Brien then pinch hit and drew a walk, and a Deggeller sacrifice fly made it 4-3 Otts.
The Loggers continued to pile on the base runners in the eighth, as they still weren't done scoring.
Matt Churchill drew a five-pitch walk, putting runners on first and second with two outs. A single by
Kellen Krebs brought
Jonah Velasco home, but O'Brien was out at home on a controversial call at the plate. The inning ended with the ball game tied at four apiece.
After a scoreless ninth inning,
Harley Eschliman continued to pitch well to put the game away. He got the necessary three outs in the top of the tenth, striking out one along the way. With one out in the bottom of the 10th, a Velasco single put a runner on base early. O'Brien only needed one pitch, belting a home run to deep right-center to give the Loggers a walk-off victory.
Game 2
The second game was very similar to the first, as the Loggers got off to another slow start. The River Otters put up a run in the top of the second inning, and another three in the top of the third.
Brock Makishima doubled to lead off the bottom of the third inning, and Deggeller brought him home with a double of his own to make it 4-1 Lewis & Clark. The River Otters put up another run in the top of the fourth, making it a four-run game yet again.
The Loggers pulled within two in the bottom of the fifth, as Crockett singled to lead off the inning. After a Deggeller fielder's choice and a stolen base,
Kellen Krebs smashed a ball over the fence to send the pair home. The River Otters struck back immediately, though, putting up two more runs in the top of the fifth, and another in the top of the eighth to make it 8-3 Otts.
Puget Sound climbed back into the game again in the bottom of the eighth inning. A Spero single, a wild pitch, a walk, and an error led to the bases being loaded, as Allen stepped up to the plate. He singled to bring in Spero, keeping the bases loaded and forcing a pitching change. Another wild pitch brought Churchill home, and then a third wild pitch brought O'Brien home. Crockett doubled to left to bring home Allen, but a Deggeller flyout ended the inning with the Loggers down 8-7.
A bases-loaded double play got the Loggers out of a jam in the top of the ninth, but the meat of the order wasn't able to get anything across the plate in the ninth. The Loggers came up just short in game two, and look to take the rubber match in game three.
What Happens Next
The Loggers are back for game three of the series against Lewis & Clark tomorrow, March 29th. First pitch has been moved from 12:00 pm to 11:00 am due to rain forecasted in the afternoon.
