BIG 5 PLAY OPENS UP WITH PAIR OF SWEEPS
Ferndale and SB remain unbeaten in Little 4
The Big 5 baseball league play opened up this past weekend after some games were pushed back because of rainfall, but both the Eureka Loggers and the McKinleyville Panthers earned doubleheader sweeps on Saturday to open 2-0 in conference play.
Eureka held off Arcata in two close games to start their Big 5 slate in Arcata, grabbing a 3-2 win in the opener and then held on in game two for a 5-3 win. Eureka finished in last place in the Big 5 in 2023 after going 4-8 but things have gotten off to a good start for the Loggers with a pair of wins over the always competitive Arcata Tigers, who won the North Coast Section Division 4 title last season.
In game one, Arcata held a 2-1 lead heading into the 7th inning, but from there the Loggers would rally with their backs against the wall. Loggers' junior Sebastian Standish remained unbothered and connected for the go-ahead two-run home run. The Loggers' then held the lead in the bottom of the inning to secure the road win.
Standish finished the game 1-4 with the heroic homer, junior Cole Zeller was a catalyst at the plate for the Loggers' going 3-4 in game one with a trio of singles and a run scored. On the mound, sophomore Ty Crawford got the start and went five innings while allowing just one run while striking out nine. Junior Royce Olson replaced Crawford out of the bullpen and got the win after two innings of work.
Game two had less dramatics, with Eureka taking the lead in the first inning and never looked back. The Loggers scored a run in both the first and second innings and then put up a three spot in the 4th to take a 5-0 lead, the
Tigers would score three to keep things interesting but couldn't muster up a comeback of their own.
After getting the win in game one, the Loggers' Olson went 1-3 with a walk and a homer in game two. Sophomore Garrett Levitt went 1-3 with a double and three runs batted in. Senior pitchers Cooper Ohlsen and Jorge Lopez worked the entire game for Eureka, with Ohlsen going six innings and allowing three runs before Lopez took over in the 7th inning and got the save to end the doubleheader.
Arcata now heads to a tournament in Redding starting on Tuesday where the Tigers open up with a game against Carson High School. Eureka opens up a series against McKinleyville at home on Wednesday before a road doubleheader on Saturday.
The Panthers got a pair of decisive wins over the reigning league champion Fortuna Huskies, in a home doubleheader for Fortuna that was played in McKinleyville due to the field up north being in better conditions. Fortuna trailed 3-1 in the 7th inning of game one but the Panthers' put up a 7-spot in the inning to push it out of reach and grab the 10-1 win in game one.
Senior Evan Fraser pitched a complete game for the Panthers', allowing just two hits and one run while grabbing the win.
Game two began the same game one ended as the Panthers put seven runs on the board in the 1st inning to jump in front. McKinleyville would ride that wave to a 14-3 win in a game that was called after five innings. Senior Branson Dobrec got the win on the mound for McKinleyville after going four innings in the lopsided game two.
Fortuna will host Del Norte for a game Wednesday and then travel to Crescent City for a doubleheader Saturday.
In the Little 4, both St. Bernard's and Ferndale remained unbeaten in league play with the Crusaders taking both games of a doubleheader from Hoopa Valley on the road Friday and the Wildcats taking two from South Fork in Miranda on Monday.
The Crusaders grabbed a 6-1 in game one with Michael Manzi throwing a complete game in the win while striking out 12. Junior Tyler Maples led the team, going 2-4 with a double and two runs batted in at the plate. St. Bernard's totaled the six runs while gathering only six base hits in the win.
St. Bernard's handled things even more convincingly in game two, winning 10-0 in five innings with four Crusader pitchers combining to throw a one-hitter, as sophomores Luke Brunton, Tyler Hinrichs, senior Mateo Gutierrez and freshman Garrett Shanahan coming together for the feat.
Ferndale brought the bats down to southern Humboldt County, grabbing a 17-6 win in the opener and followed it up with a 15-3 win to complete the doubleheader sweep. South Fork had a 5-4 lead in the first game going into the 6th inning but the Wildcats would score 13 runs in the last two innings to take the win. Ferndale led throughout game two before a mercy rule was enacted in the 6th inning as the Wildcats moved to 4-0 in the Little 4.
Both 4-0 teams will face off this week, with a doubleheader between the Crusaders and Wildcats set for Friday in Eureka. South Fork and Hoopa Valley will also have a doubleheader Friday, with those games taking place in Hoopa as both teams search for their first Little 4 wins of 2024.