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Close but no cigar: Saints split back-to-back doubleheaders
Baseball splits series with the Titans in a weekend rubber match at Oslund Field
The Advocate
For the second straight year, the Saints baseball team is having trouble picking up doubleheader sweeps in conference play.
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In consecutive doubleheaders at Oslund Field, the Saints (6-5-1, 2-2) saw their chances slip away in the seven-inning second games. They lost both rubber matches by one run, including a 7-6 loss to the Linn-Benton Roadrunners (9-9, 3-3) March 31 and 3-2 to the Lane Titans (9-9, 4-2) on Saturday. In both doubleheaders, they walked away with first game victories, winning easily 14-1 over the Roadrunners and then edging the Titans 7-6.
"It's always the second game," sophomore pitcher Alex Keenan said Wednesday night. "Energy and focus is the biggest thing, along with carrying over the momentum from the first game.
"The (second games) are always the hardest. (The games) go by fast and both teams throw their aces. The execution part has been slower."
Though it's still early in the season, the Saints are riding on high hopes and want more than anything to take the league title. Thankfully, they still have 13 conference doubleheaders to prove themselves. According to sophomore centerfielder Jared Chase, they don't expect anything less.
"Most ball clubs are satisfied with splitting," Chase said Wednesday night. "If we (split), we feel like we haven't accomplished anything. I know for a fact we out-work every team in the NWAACC and deserve that sweep every night."
Chase said the biggest problem has been a lack of focus and execution heading into the second game after a mini-break in between games.
"We need to keep that intensity level up instead of being a rollercoaster," Chase said. "After that little break, we kind of relax too much. We're passive at the plate. In order to be a championship team, we can't just be happy with one win."
For the first time in 16 seasons, the Saints last year missed the playoffs and finishing third in the Southern Region with a record of 18-12 in the Southern Region (25-19 overall).
Sophomore infielder (third base and first base) Grant Fink said in order to avoid that same scenario, the Saints will have to remain on the same page and attack each game as a collaborated team effort.
"To win those games (doubleheader sweeps), you have to have the will to win," Fink said. "Splits don't win championships. If you don't buy into the plan that we have as a team, then you're going to slow things down. We work too hard. It takes every single guy on this team to win two games in a day, whether you're on the bench, in the field or pitching one inning."
As an offense the Saints have pieced together a dismal .232 batting average through their first 12 games. Fink said if the offense sticks to the game plan of "going up the middle and away" they would start seeing better results at the dish.
"Offensively, it goes back to preparation," Fink said. "We have to go with (our) plan and if we do that, balls will start falling and runs will pile up. Then it will start eliminating our low batting average as a team."
"We have a lot of getting better to do," he added.
The Saints square off Saturday with the Southwestern Oregon Lakers (7-11, 3-3) in a 1 p.m. start at Oslund Field. Due to weather complications The Advocate will post any and all delays or rescheduled games on www.advocate-online.net
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