Baseball: Vikings drop home opener to Elmira, 10-6
Siuslaw baseball coach Tony Castro was pleased with his Vikings' defense and no-quit attitude. Wins make everyone happy, but Siuslaw baseball coach Tony Castro was happy enough Tuesday as his Vikings went cleat-to-cleat with the Elmira Falcons in a nonleague game at John Jiggs Dodson Field.
Elmira withstood a Vikings rally for its fifth win in six games this season, 10-6.
"I liked our defense and our no-quit attitude," Castro said. "Regardless of the loss, they came away with a winning attitude."
The loss dropped Siuslaw to 1-4 in nonleague play, with four more games on the schedule before opening Far West League play with a doubleheader against Marshfield on Friday, April 8, at Dodson Field. First pitch is 3 p.m.
The Vikings play a single game Thursday at Sutherlin and a doubleheader Saturday at Junction City.
Siuslaw's final nonleague game is 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, against Pleasant Hill.
That will be only the Vikings' second home game, if played, since the season began March 14. Home games against Cottage Grove and Sweet Home and a tournament game against Valley Catholic at the Taft Tournament were scrubbed because of weather and field conditions.
But Tuesday's game against Elmira couldn't have been nicer for a late-March contest. Clear sky and a light wind greeted the teams for the late afternoon start.
"It was about time we played at home," Castro said, with a grin. "Our field is in excellent shape, and we had a couple of days to groom it and get it ready.
"We couldn't have asked for a better day, so the boys could play a real good game."
It didn't have a real good outcome, but it wasn't for not trying, despite falling behind 6-1 early.
The Vikings scratched back to trail by just a run, 7-6, in the bottom of the sixth, with the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third.
A two-out groundout ended the threat, and the Falcons padded their lead with three more in the top of the seventh.
"We had an opportunity and we let it get away," Castro said.
Another rally died in the bottom of the fifth, when Falcons left fielder Austin Smith retired the hitter on a fly out and gunned the ball to home plate for the double play.
"He made a perfect throw to home plate," Castro said. "You can't take it away from the young man, he put it right there where it had to be."
Smith's younger brother, starting pitcher Kellen Smith, a sophomore, put the ball where it had to be enough to pick up the win. Freshman reliever Richard Estrella snuffed the Vikings' rally in the bottom of the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh for the save.
Sophomore Jared Brandt, batting cleanup, led the Vikings offense with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, and played solid defense at third base.
"Jared played an excellent game over there at third base and he also swung the bat well," Castro said. "He's been hitting the ball well the last couple of games."
Five of the Vikings' six runs were scored by the top three batters, with Scott Gordon 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, Darren Stinnett two runs scored and Kenneth Thrall 1-for-2 with a run scored.
Evan Teter scored the Vikings' sixth run as part of a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.
Kawai Kaielekau was 3-for-4 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs for the Falcons. Davis Kilmer was 2-for-4 with 2 runs and Austin Smith had 2 RBIs.
"I'm very proud of our boys and how they played today," Castro said. "The boys never quit, and that's the process we have and what we teach our young men.
"Never quit until the last out, because you can always win with that last out."
LINESCORE
Tuesday, March 29, at Siuslaw High School
ELMIRA 132 001 3 — 10 8 1
SIUSLAW 101 013 0 — 6 4 4
Winning pitcher — Kellen Smith. Losing pitcher — Michael Larson.
IMAGE GALLERY
