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Saints pick up two big victories in rainy doubleheader
The Advocate
During a cold and rainy doubleheader Sunday, the Saints picked up big victories over Concordia JV, 9-1, and George Fox JV, 7-0, at West Linn High School to start the season.
“We were prepared for the weather,” said head coach Bryan Donohue. “We’ve been practicing in crappy weather a lot. This came to no surprise that it was raining. Plus in the second game, it started to clear up and it didn’t matter anyway since we were playing on a turf field.”
Left-handed sophomore pitcher Nick Opitz picked up the victory in game one, pitching two perfect innings and striking out two.
Sophomores Mike Cero and Dylan Jones led the way on offense by hitting home runs in the winning effort. “I was impressed with the victory,” said Donohue.
“We came out a bit flat but throughout the game,” the coach said. “We started to get it together. We didn’t play with a lot of intensity, due to the fact that we thought we were better than both teams and thought we were going to win before the games even started.”
In game two the Saints were led by Jones on the mound, who pitched two innings and struck out four of the nine batters he faced. Freshman catcher/pitcher Corey Davis, younger brother of former Saint Brett Davis, hit two homeruns in his first two at bats in the victory over George Fox. “You couldn’t ask for a better way to start off your college career,” said Donohue.
“From day one we expected a lot out of him. He puts in a lot of hard work during practice and it’s paying off already. After his first homerun, he tweaked his hamstring and stayed in the game. (This) proves the type of player he is,” said Donohue.
Donohue said the victories were a success in his eyes and it was a good way to start the season.
“It was a good warm up,” said Donohue. “As both games went on, we got better and adjusted well. We accomplished what we wanted to get done.” Donohue said this year’s team has what it takes to win NWAACCs. “We have all the pieces to the puzzle, it’s just a matter of putting those pieces all together.”
Donohue, in his second season as head coach, said, “It’s been a challenge making a set line-up and that’s not a bad thing,” referring to his team’s depth. “There is a lot of competitiveness among the guys. Our team is much deeper than last year. Every play counts.”
The Saints haven’t won an NWAACCs Championship since 2000 and Donohue said something has to change in their approach compared to years past. “We need to have higher expectations and be accountable for one another. We need to set the bar higher every day. We can’t expect to go about things the same way. We need to find a way to get over that hump.”
The Saints travel to Longview, Wash., on Saturday to take on the Lower Columbia Red Devils in a doubleheader that starts at noon. The Red Devils finished second place in NWAACCs last year and are ranked number one overall in this year’s NWAACCs poll. The Red Devils are off to a 3-0 start in preseason.
Donohue understands the challenge of these games and wants his team to be ready for that challenge. “We may struggle at times,” said Donohue. “It’s going to be a great test for our guys. No matter what happens (win or lose), it will make our team better. We don’t play to win preseason games. We play to win titles.”
The Saints travel to Bellevue, Wash., on Sunday to face the Bellevue Bulldogs in a doubleheader that starts at 11 a.m. The Bulldogs are off to a 1-2 start.