LOGGERS 3-0 ON ANNUAL EASTERN TRIP
If the Knappa Loggers learned anything on their Spring Break trip this year, it's that the Northwest League is mighty tough this year. They already had a pretty good idea.
Taking on a pair of teams expected to contend for state playoff berths from the Blue Mountain Conference, the Loggers chopped out three mercy rule wins that put their league opening doubleheader loss to Nestucca in clearer perspective.
"We expected much tighter games going east than we got," said Knappa head coach Jeff Miller. "The kids know and expect much stiffer competition the rest of the way. Hopefully this gives us the confidence to compete at that level."
On Wednesday, the Loggers used the big inning and the extra base hit to blow past Prairie City/Dayville 12-2 in five frames. Thursday, Knappa destroyed Sherman County, a state quarterfinalist in 2006, winning game one 22-1 in five innings and taking a sixth inning to dispatch the Huskies 14-4 for the doubleheader sweep.
The Loggers put it all together on this trip with strong starting and bullpen pitching, hitting contributions up and down the lineup and a single error in 16 innings of ball.
"It's just what the doctor ordered," said Knappa head coach Jeff Miller. "We needed to build some momentum. It allowed everybody to play a lot and in new positions in some cases. It gave some kids confidence that needed some. Starting league play 0-2 right away, we needed to go away and get healthy and get some momentum. In that case, mission accomplished."
Junior lefthander Gary Aho continued his torrid start to the season that has seen the 3-year starter get at least two hits in each of Knappa's games so far. Aho picked up the win on the mound Wednesday at Prairie City, striking out six batters, while allowing two runs on two hits through three innings and added two hits with a double in three at bats. His battery mate came up large at the plate as Joe Strickland went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and five runs batted in. Strickland's 3-run shot in the first inning gave Knappa a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the trip. Seven of the Loggers' nine hits on Wednesday went for extra bases.
Knappa showed that it doesn't need a wallbanging shot to score, however, as Elias Hunsinger and Dallas Oja executed back-to-back squeeze bunts to plate runs in the Loggers' 8-run second inning.
Game one Friday against Sherman County was close...for two innings at least. The Loggers scored in the first inning, with the Huskies pulling even on a Jorge Guzman home run in the bottom half of the frame. Tied at two going into the third, Knappa put four runs on the board against starting pitcher Nolan Mobley, who fanned six Logger batters in the early innings. The Loggers gashed the Huskies for 17 runs over the next two innings to win going away. Maury Dugan drove in six runs with a double and a home run and pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning with two strikeouts after two innings of scoreless relief the previous day. Karac Anderson doubled twice in three at bats, Oja went 3-for-3 with four runs scored and Aho went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI's.
The Loggers capped the trip with a six-inning win in game two against Sherman. Anderson got the start on the mound and pitched three no-hit innings with six strikeouts for the victory, while helping his cause with a 3-for-4 day at the plate with a double and an RBI. Aho launched an opposite field home run over the deep left field fence at Moro, part of a 3-for-4 game at the plate that included a double, four runs and three RBI's.
The game got off to an ugly start as Huskies pitcher Beau Kivett had trouble locating the plate. Anderson led off the game with a single, then came around to score after three consecutive bases on balls. Two hit batters and two more walks later, the Loggers were on their way to another rout. When the dust settled, Knappa drew ten walks and another seven batters reached base after being hit by pitches. The seam bruise total: 12 hit batters for the doubleheader and a headscratching 28 Loggers hit by pitches already this season!
Knappa will break out the Ben Gay this weekend and prepare for a busy week coming out of spring break. The 4-3 Loggers host a league game with 2A Special District 1 newcomer Country Christian of Molalla on Tuesday, follow with a non-league home game against Clatskanie Wednesday, then take on flamethrowing Cody Fassold and the Gaston Greyhounds in a key league doubleheader at Teevin Field on Thursday.
KNAPPA 3-8-0-0-1 12-9-0
PRAIRIE CITY 1-0-1-0-0 2-3-1
WP-Aho (3ip, 2h, 2er, 6k, 3bb)
LP-Bass
2B-J. Strickland, Anderson, Aho, Dugan, C. Strickland, Montgomery. HR-Strickland (1)
Game One
KNAPPA 1-0-4-6-11 22-16-0
SHERMAN 1-0-0-0-0 1-3-3
WP-West (4ip, 3h, er, 7k, bb)
LP-Mobley
2B-Anderson 2, Aho, Crawford, Dugan, Oja, Mobley. HR-Guzman, Dugan (1)
Game Two
KNAPPA 6-3-1-0-0-4 14-9-1
SHERMAN 0-0-0-1-0-3 4-5-1
WP-Anderson (3ip, 0h, 0r, 6k, bb)
LP-Kivett
2B-Anderson, Aho. HR-Aho
Taking on a pair of teams expected to contend for state playoff berths from the Blue Mountain Conference, the Loggers chopped out three mercy rule wins that put their league opening doubleheader loss to Nestucca in clearer perspective.
"We expected much tighter games going east than we got," said Knappa head coach Jeff Miller. "The kids know and expect much stiffer competition the rest of the way. Hopefully this gives us the confidence to compete at that level."
On Wednesday, the Loggers used the big inning and the extra base hit to blow past Prairie City/Dayville 12-2 in five frames. Thursday, Knappa destroyed Sherman County, a state quarterfinalist in 2006, winning game one 22-1 in five innings and taking a sixth inning to dispatch the Huskies 14-4 for the doubleheader sweep.
The Loggers put it all together on this trip with strong starting and bullpen pitching, hitting contributions up and down the lineup and a single error in 16 innings of ball.
"It's just what the doctor ordered," said Knappa head coach Jeff Miller. "We needed to build some momentum. It allowed everybody to play a lot and in new positions in some cases. It gave some kids confidence that needed some. Starting league play 0-2 right away, we needed to go away and get healthy and get some momentum. In that case, mission accomplished."
Junior lefthander Gary Aho continued his torrid start to the season that has seen the 3-year starter get at least two hits in each of Knappa's games so far. Aho picked up the win on the mound Wednesday at Prairie City, striking out six batters, while allowing two runs on two hits through three innings and added two hits with a double in three at bats. His battery mate came up large at the plate as Joe Strickland went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and five runs batted in. Strickland's 3-run shot in the first inning gave Knappa a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the trip. Seven of the Loggers' nine hits on Wednesday went for extra bases.
Knappa showed that it doesn't need a wallbanging shot to score, however, as Elias Hunsinger and Dallas Oja executed back-to-back squeeze bunts to plate runs in the Loggers' 8-run second inning.
Game one Friday against Sherman County was close...for two innings at least. The Loggers scored in the first inning, with the Huskies pulling even on a Jorge Guzman home run in the bottom half of the frame. Tied at two going into the third, Knappa put four runs on the board against starting pitcher Nolan Mobley, who fanned six Logger batters in the early innings. The Loggers gashed the Huskies for 17 runs over the next two innings to win going away. Maury Dugan drove in six runs with a double and a home run and pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning with two strikeouts after two innings of scoreless relief the previous day. Karac Anderson doubled twice in three at bats, Oja went 3-for-3 with four runs scored and Aho went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI's.
The Loggers capped the trip with a six-inning win in game two against Sherman. Anderson got the start on the mound and pitched three no-hit innings with six strikeouts for the victory, while helping his cause with a 3-for-4 day at the plate with a double and an RBI. Aho launched an opposite field home run over the deep left field fence at Moro, part of a 3-for-4 game at the plate that included a double, four runs and three RBI's.
The game got off to an ugly start as Huskies pitcher Beau Kivett had trouble locating the plate. Anderson led off the game with a single, then came around to score after three consecutive bases on balls. Two hit batters and two more walks later, the Loggers were on their way to another rout. When the dust settled, Knappa drew ten walks and another seven batters reached base after being hit by pitches. The seam bruise total: 12 hit batters for the doubleheader and a headscratching 28 Loggers hit by pitches already this season!
Knappa will break out the Ben Gay this weekend and prepare for a busy week coming out of spring break. The 4-3 Loggers host a league game with 2A Special District 1 newcomer Country Christian of Molalla on Tuesday, follow with a non-league home game against Clatskanie Wednesday, then take on flamethrowing Cody Fassold and the Gaston Greyhounds in a key league doubleheader at Teevin Field on Thursday.
KNAPPA 3-8-0-0-1 12-9-0
PRAIRIE CITY 1-0-1-0-0 2-3-1
WP-Aho (3ip, 2h, 2er, 6k, 3bb)
LP-Bass
2B-J. Strickland, Anderson, Aho, Dugan, C. Strickland, Montgomery. HR-Strickland (1)
Game One
KNAPPA 1-0-4-6-11 22-16-0
SHERMAN 1-0-0-0-0 1-3-3
WP-West (4ip, 3h, er, 7k, bb)
LP-Mobley
2B-Anderson 2, Aho, Crawford, Dugan, Oja, Mobley. HR-Guzman, Dugan (1)
Game Two
KNAPPA 6-3-1-0-0-4 14-9-1
SHERMAN 0-0-0-1-0-3 4-5-1
WP-Anderson (3ip, 0h, 0r, 6k, bb)
LP-Kivett
2B-Anderson, Aho. HR-Aho
posted by Matt Richert at 11:00 PM
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