The Philomath High School baseball team broke open its game Wednesday at Sweet Home in the late innings in what ended up as a 10-2 victory.
The Warriors (7-4 overall, 2-0 Oregon West) have won six straight games and are one of three unbeatens in conference play. Philomath will meet Sweet Home (2-9, 0-2) in the series finale at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Terry Stephenson Field.
Philomath took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a one-out solo home run to left field by senior Mason Stearns. But that would be it for runs until the fifth as a pitching duel developed between Philomath junior Joe Barnes and Sweet Home senior Huston Holly.
The Warriors threatened in the third when junior Brady Russell opened the inning with a double and sophomore Rocco De La Rosa followed with a walk. But Holly pitched himself out of the jam to keep the game at 1-0.
Philomath provided some more run support for Barnes in the fifth. Junior Logan Matthews hit a one-run single for a 2-0 lead and then the Warriors added another with De La Rosa reaching home on the front end of a double steal.
The visitors broke open the game in the sixth with five more runs. Russell had a one-run single, Matthews and Stearns walked with the bases loaded and junior Kayson Olsen had a two-run single for an 8-0 lead.
Philomath added two more in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Wylie Griffith to drive in a run. Junior Colton Hruska followed with a two-out single for the team’s 10th run.
Sweet Home scored twice on its final at-bat. Holly hit a double to drive in two runs but a third base runner was thrown out at the plate to end the game.
Barnes went 5-2/3 innings and allowed no runs, two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Griffith pitched the final 1-1/3 with two runs and two hits allowed.
Russell went 3 for 4, De La Rosa was 2 for 2 and both Matthews and Stearns were 2 for 3 to lead the Warriors offensively. Matthews, Stearns and Olsen each had two RBIs.
Holly was 2 for 4 for the Huskies.
