The Philomath High School baseball team will go for a series sweep Thursday at home against Newport after defeating the Cubs on the road Wednesday, 9-4.
The Warriors evened their season record at 11-11 and improved to 7-4 in the Oregon West Conference. Combined with Stayton’s 9-3 loss to Cascade on Wednesday, Philomath now trails the first-place team by just one game.
Philomath sophomore Jayce Iverson had a quality start on the mound with a complete-game performance, allowing six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
The Warriors shot out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The first run came on a ground-ball out by junior CK Kvidt that brought home junior AJ Altishin, who had singled earlier in the inning. Junior Gavin Bennett followed with a two-run single to left field.
Newport (8-13, 4-7) tied the game in the third, the biggest hit being a two-run double by freshman Trey Scarberry.
Philomath regained the lead in the sixth and pulled away by putting six runs on the board. Iverson broke the tie with a one-run double to left field. The next batter, sophomore Sammy Hernandez, reached on an error while Iverson scored. Later in the inning, senior Caleb Babcock was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and senior Wylie Griffith scored on a wild pitch to put PHS up by four runs. Then, again with the bases loaded, Bennett was hit by a pitch and junior Rustan Woosley worked a walk for a 9-3 lead.
Newport got back a run in the bottom of the sixth, and in the seventh, the Cubs opened with a single before a strikeout, ground out to the pitcher and a fly out to left field to end the game.
Philomath collected just six hits in the game but reached base eight times on walks and four times when hit by pitches.
For Newport, juniors Matt Colton and Collin Fierro each had two hits. Three pitchers were on the bump for the Cubs with sophomore Quinn Barber getting the loss in relief. Starter Ryder Hockema, a senior, went five innings and allowed five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
Philomath and Newport meet again Thursday with the first pitch listed as 5:15 p.m.
Philomath 9, Newport 4
Wednesday, May 13, at Frank Wade Memorial Field, Newport HS
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Philomath (11-11, 7-4) 3 0 0 0 0 6 0 9 6 2 Newport (8-13, 4-7) 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 6 1
Iverson and Herbert; Hockema, Barber (6), Wagner (6) and Wagner, Humphreys (6). W — Iverson. L — Barber. 2B — Scarberry (N), Kvidt (P), Iverson (P), Barber (N).
Junior varsity: Philomath 13, Newport 2 (5).