Saints split match-up against Lane

The Saints split a pair of one-run games against Lane Community College Wednesday as the baseball team moved into its spring term schedule.

In the first game of the home doubleheader, Mt. Hood suffered a tough 6-5 loss after being up 5-3 going into the eighth inning. Mt. Hood allowed three runs in the eighth, giving up the lead and the game.

Coach Brian Donohue said, “Kind of a tough one to swallow, just because we had it. We made some defensive mistakes in the infield at some inopportune times and created a couple rallies for them.”

In the second game, the Saints came back and won in dramatic fashion, scoring in the final inning to win 3-2. Donohue had much good to say on the second game. “We competed our butts off and came back from a 2-1 deficit and found a way to score the winning run in the last inning. That was a fun way to finish that one,” he said.

The Saints had compiled a 2-4 record over the break, with wins over Pierce College and Lane. Mt. Hood’s 4-3 win over Lane came after a tough 1-2 loss to the Titans earlier that day. Mt. Hood’s four losses came against Everett Community College (twice), Tacoma Community College and Lane.

Sixteen games into the season, Saints baseball sits fifth in their division with a 2-2 record of (5-11 overall).

When discussing how the team has performed this season,  Donohue said, “We’ve gotten better the whole time, and played what I believe the toughest preseason.” Donahue listed the team’s defense and pitching as their strong suits. The Saints, who only had eight errors through the first 14 games, have been playing well on the defensive end.

The Saints have been led by the strong play of sophomore shortstop Cole Hamilton, who leads the team with a .340 batting average. Freshman Nick Gawley leads the Saints with three homers. Gawley also leads the team in RBIs with 13.

Sophomore pitcher Zane Bambusch leads the team with a 3.27 ERA, while freshman Jake Dahlberg leads the Saints with two wins on the mound.

Donahue has high hopes for this year’s team. “Anything short of winning Southern we’d look at as a disappointment.” The Saints have won three straight Southern Region championships, and eight of the last nine.

Donahue also listed winning NWAACCs as a goal for the season.

“If we come out and take care of our end of things — if we throw strikes, we take care of the baseball, we get a few timely hits here and there and find some ways to score runs — we will beat people,” he said. “If we can do those things day in and day out, it will end up turning into a situation that it’s not just going to be a conversation of finding ways to win games, but how much were winning games by.”

The Saints face the division-leading Clark Penguins (12-6) today at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in Vancouver, and then face them again Saturday for a doubleheader in Gresham starting at 2 p.m.