Chukars drop NWAACC opener, 5-2, against No. 1 Mt. Hood
Friday, May 22, 2009 12:14 PM PDT
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| Argus Observer file photo
TVCC’s Nigel Morton prepares to field a ground ball in this Argus Observer file photo. The Chukars will take on Green River today at the NWAACC Baseball Championships in Longview, Wash. The game is slated to start at 10:35 a.m. MDT. |
Argus Observer sports staff
Longview, Wash.—Five runs by the Mount Hood Saints in the first two innings was too much for the Treasure Valley Community College baseball team to overcome as they dropped the first game of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges 2009 Baseball Championships Thursday at Story Field in Longview, Wash.
Despite out-hitting the Saints, 9-7, the Chukars stranded nine runners, four of which were in scoring position.
The Chukars broke the ice in the top of the first inning with a run when Christian Jolley led off the game with a walk. He was moved to third on a single by catcher Mike Tevlin who stroked a single off Saints starting pitcher Nick Struck for TVCC’s first hit of the game. Jolley touched home plate on a sacrifice groundout by short stop Josh Kalalau. Tevlin was left stranded at third base to end the inning on a fly out to center field by Howerton
Chukar starting pitcher freshman Darin Johnson took his one-run advantage to the bump in the bottom of the first inning, only to watch that lead disappear when the Saints plated three runs on two hits and a Chukar error.
Then to add insult to injury, Mount Hood added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Johnson gave up a leadoff single, followed by a walk and a fielder’s choice which put runners in scoring position for Saints Kirt Snowley who came through with a two out, two RBI single to give the Saints a 5-1 lead.
TVCC head coach Rick Baumann called on Chris Needham with two outs in the bottom of the third inning to get the Chukars out of a two-on, two-out jam. Needham delivered with groundout to escape the inning with no damage done.
Johnson worked 22 ⁄3 of an inning, giving up five runs on five hits, while striking out two and walking one.
Neither team scored runs through the middle and late innings. However, TVCC had its chances.
In the top of the fifth inning, TVCC had runners at first and third with two outs and could not come up with a hit. Plus, in that inning it had a runner get caught in a rundown between second and third for the second out of the inning.
In the ninth inning, the Chukars scored a run when Perry Wilkenson reached home plate off a Jolley single, but left a runner stranded to end the game.
Jolley led the Chukars at the plate going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. The only other TVCC player to pick up multiple hits was Kalalau who went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The loss dropped the Chukars into the loser bracket where they will take on Green River today at 10:35 a.m. MDT. KSRV 1380 AM will broadcast the game live.
Mt. Hood 5, TVCC 2
TVCC 100 000 001 - 2 9 1
Mt. Hood 320 000 00x - 5 7 0
Johnson, Needham (3) and Tevlin; Struck, Kiggins and Davis. WP-Struck. LP-Johnson. SO/BB-Johnson 2⁄1,Needham 2⁄0, Struck 6⁄2, Kiggins 1⁄0. 2B-Snowley (MH). 3B-None. HR-None. RBI-Jolley (TV), Kalalau (TV); Glover 2(MH), Johnson (MH), Snowley 2(MH). Hits-TVCC: Jolley 3-4 R, Rohde 1-5, Tevlin 1-4, Kalalau 2-4, Wilkenson 1-4 R, Cowland 1-5.
NWAACC results
Opening round
Game 1
Bellevue 10, Green River 6
Game 2
Columbia Basin 4, Clackamas 0
Game 3
Mt. Hood 5, TVCC 2
Game 4
Skagit Valley 10 , Lower Columbia 2
