Saints split doubleheaders against Chemeketa

On Wednesday, the Saints baseball team suffered a tough 4-2 loss at home to Clackamas Community College, in a game that was rescheduled due to weather.

The defeat was a setback in Mt. Hood’s fight to make up ground in the chase for a playoff spot this season.

The Saints (12-20 overall, 9-11 South Region) were up a run against Clackamas going into sixth inning, but gave up four runs in the sixth and were unable to muster a comeback. Sophomore shortstop Cole Hamilton and freshman center fielder Nick Gawley both recorded two hits in four at-bats to lead Mt. Hood’s effort.

“ It was definitly a tough loss this far into the season since its a game we know we should have won,” said Hamilton. “ I’m excited to see what we do with these last 10 games.”

Prior to the loss to Clackamas, Mt. Hood played in two doubleheaders against Chemeketa Community College, and split both.

On Tuesday against the Storm, the Saints lost a close one, 7-6, in the opener. The Saints played well through seven innings, leading 6-2, but some untimely errors allowed Chemeketa to surge late. Freshman Tommy Lane was a bright spot on the offensive end, with three hits in four at-bats.

Head coach Bryan Donohue consoled his players after the disappointing loss.

“I really just challenged our guys,” he said. “The easy thing to do here is to let that effect you. Obviously I’m frustrated that we didn’t come out with a win right there, but the bottom line is that we have to respond -— and we did.”

The Saints bounced back in Game Two, shutting out the Storm, 3-0. Sophomore pitcher Joe Piercey played well for the Saints, holding Chemeketa scoreless and allowing only four hits. Lane and sophomore Catcher Jake Azevedo had big hits for the Saints, combining for three RBIs. Mt. Hood played clean baseball, committing no errors.

Last Saturday, the Saints split their first double-header against Chemeketa. The Saints won the first game, 7-1, but dropped second game, 6-2.

Mt. Hood played strong in the victory, recording 14 hits. Freshman Evan Jones sparked the Saints’ offense with three hits and one RBI.

Donohue was happy with the win. “We had a lot of guys step up and pile up runs late in that game,” he said. “One of the nice things was getting (sophomore) Zane Bambusch back on the mound. We hadn’t had a start from him in quite a while (due to a dislocated knee). Having him on the mound, our Number One guy, definitely makes us play with a lot of confidence, knowing that we don’t have to do too much offensively because he’s going to do a good job holding them.”

The second game got away from Mt. Hood. MHCC started off with two quick runs but was held scoreless for the remainder of the game. Lane contributed two hits in three at-bats.

After the doubleheaders and the makeup game against Clackamas, Mt. Hood sits fourth in the South region. With only two South teams qualifying for NWAACC playoffs, these next ten games are do-or-die for the Saints.

The Saints play another doubleheader today, against Lane Community College in Eugene. The games will be held at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Freshman Tommy Lane finishes his swing against Chemeketa Community College on Tuesday. Lane has a .311 batting average on the season and leads the team in home runs with four.

Advocate Staff