Tigers even record with two straight wins

Clatskanie’s varsity baseball team shrugged off an 0-2 start for the season with two straight wins against Oakland and Pleasant Hill. The Tigers started off the season falling 9-1 at Regis on Tuesday, March 17. Kash Hodges scored the only run of the game for the Tigers in the top of the sixth inning. Though not scoring themselves, Lucas Andreasen and Zach Mollenhour stole three bases between them, with Mollenhour getting two to Andreasen’s one. The following week, the Tigers would surrender six runs in the first inning to Umpqua Valley Christian. The Monarchs would tack on another run before Clatskanie responded with its only run of the game, scored by Mollenhour, in the top of the fourth. The Monarchs would tack on another four runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game via the mercy rule. Mollenhour stole another base for the Tigers in the loss.

Clatskanie would find its winning ways the following day against Oakland. Putting up six runs in the first, the Tigers would add two runs in the second, seven runs in the third, and three runs in the fourth to bring the score to its final tally, 18-0. Will Van Voorst, Royal Smart, and Finn McDonnell had two hits each to lead the Tigers. Van Voorst led the team in RBI with three, and Bode Shulda, along with McDonnell, led the team in runs scored with three each. Gunner Engen, Logan Harkless, Russell Carver, Mollenhour, and Andreasen scored two runs each for the Tigers. Mollenhour tacked on another two stolen bases, while McDonnell and Andreasen each swiped a base of their own. McDonnell got the win for Clatskanie, allowing zero earned runs while striking out five batters over three innings pitched. Hunter Lair came in for an inning of relief, striking out all three batters he faced.

Playing their third game in three days, the Tigers eked out a 4-2 win against the Pleasant Hill Billies on Friday, March 27. Scoring twice in the top of the first inning, Clatskanie would give up a run in the bottom half of the frame. The Tigers added two insurance runs in the top of the fourth inning to make it 4-1. Pleasant Hill countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, but that is all they would muster over seven innings, falling to Clatskanie 4-2. Andreasen led the Tigers in RBI with two and scored a run as well. Engen and Carver had two hits apiece to lead the team, and Mollenhour, Hodges, and Lair scored a run each. Mollenhour had yet another two stolen bases, followed by one each for Cash Doney, Carver, and Lair. Mollenhour led the team from the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while allowing zero earned runs. Andreasen pitched an inning as well, allowing one hit and zero earned runs.

Clatskanie (2-2) traveled to St. Paul on Wednesday, April 1, but the results of the game were not available at the time of press. The Tigers travel to Scio on Friday, April 3, and will then travel to Horizon Christian on Monday, April 6, before returning home to face Kennedy on Tuesday, April 7 at 4:30 p.m.