Game reports by Neil Barrowcliff
The Australian Schoolboys team have completed the Oregon leg of their tour with 5 wins, 5 loses and a draw.
Game 8 vs. Mt. Hood College
A slow start to the game after Mt. Hood put 5 runs on the board in the 1st inning. A home run and RBI from Turnbull, and singles from Holding and King allowed Australia to reduce the deficit to 5-3. However Mt. Hood came right back and added a run making the score 6-3 going into the 4th.
D’Avoine was doing a terrific job on the mound keeping the Mt. Hood hitters quiet, and when Holding led off our 6th with a home run over left field, the deficit was down to two runs at 6 – 4. Mt. Hood quickly responded with two more hits of their own in the 6th, and another 5 runs in the 8th to make the final score 13-4.
Game 9 vs. Chemeketa Community College
Inn/Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
V
Australia
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
6
1
H
Chemeketa
0
5
0
0
0
1
0
0
X
6
4
3
Starting for us on the mound was Josh Hendrickson who threw a tidy first innings, highlighted by Whitley’s diving catch at left field.
In the 2nd, King doubled, Quirk beat out an infield hit and Whitley’s bunt scored King for us to score the first run of the game. Chemeketa responded with 5 runs of their own making the score 5-1 going into the third.
Hendrickson then threw two good innings to keep Chemeketa scoreless, but in the meantime our bats were also failing to produce, and so when DeJong relieved Hendrickson for the bottom of the 5th it was still 5 – 1. A lead off error in the 6th, followed by a botched pick off attempt and then a base hit, gave Chemeketa an easy but unearned, run to make it now 6 – 1 in their favour. Leskiw came in to throw a scoreless final inning, ending the game 6-1 to Chemeketa.
Game 10 vs. Linn Benton Community College
Linn Benton secured an early lead with three runs in the 1st, however Australia quickly responded when McCallum led off with a walk, Baker singled and Holding hit his second home run of the tour, a laser-like line drive over left centre to tie the game up at 3 – 3.
Barrett was now in his groove and retired Linn Benton without scoring in the 3rd and 4th. Then in the top of the 5th, D’Avoine got on via a walk and stole second, Rawlinson’s ground ball was errored, and D’Avoine scored on the play. Frew walked and then Turnbull smoked a double to right centre to bring home both Rawlinson and Frew and we were in front for the first time in the game at 6 – 3.
Barrett again shut them down in the 5th and was replaced at the start of the 6th by Whitehead who threw two strikeouts in a scoreless innings.
Rawlinson led off the 7th with a double which hit the left field fence on the full. Turnbull then hit a sharp single to right field for his 3rd RBI of the game to bring in Rawlinson and we were out to a 7 – 3 lead.
Again in the 8th we got a lead off single, this time from Holding. Quirk pinch ran for Holding and was moved over to second by King. Quirk then got to third after getting a good read on a ball in the dirt and the catcher threw the ball away attempting to get him out, bringing him home and it was now 8 -3. Linn Benton replied with a run of their own in the 8th courtesy of two hits, so it was 8 – 4 after the final inning.
Game 11 vs. Corban University
We got off to a great start when three walks loaded the bases, McCallum’s infield ground ball scored a run, as did Baker’s single. Two pass balls followed, and at the end of the innings we had scored four runs. Corban hit back straight away with four hits of their own and so the scores were locked up at 4 – 4 at the end of the 1st.
Enciondo threw a very tidy 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th innings to hold them out, but we were also failing to score ourselves, and so it was still tied up at the end of five innings.
Then in the 6th, Turnbull and McCallum both drew walks, and Baker singled again for another RBI to score Turnbull, and we had taken the lead 5 – 4. Steedman came on to replace Enciondo and Corban scored four runs for them to take the lead 8-5.
Whitley started things for us in the 7th with a pinch hit walk, and then Bourke also came in to pinch hit, and had a great at bat which resulted in a single to score Whitley making the score 8-6. DeJong replaced Steedman on the mound for the start of the 7th and kept them scoreless.
Turnbull led off the 8th with a walk and McCallum dropped down a great running bunt for a safe hit. Baker hit safely again to get his 3rd RBI of the game to score Turnbull, and McCallum moved over to third on the play and Baker was able to get through to second. A bad baulk by the pitcher and a wild pitch scored both McCallum and Baker, and our three runs for the innings saw us retake the lead 9 – 8. Although Corban threatened in the last innings, Australia was able to maintain their lead and win the game 9-8.
The Oregon leg of the tour has now been completed and the team will now fly to Los Angeles for the next part of their tour.
For more updates visit baseball.com.au or schoolsport.edu.au