Sophomore Bentley Stockton got another Tri-Valley Conference shutout win Thursday, pitching the Buffs past Molalla on the road 2-0.
Stockton spread out three hits and overcame three Buffalo errors to keep the Indians off the board. Not overpowering, Stockton struck out just two, but only gave up three walks.
On April 24, Stockton threw a shutout against Estacada, a 1-0 Madras win.
"Phenomenal effort from him," said MHS coach Jerry Shaw. "Bentley has found his groove and his calmness, positive attitude, trust in teammates and coachability have led to his growth."
Offensively, the Buffalos weren't much better than Molalla, getting just four hits. But senior Tyler Clarkson had two of those base hits, with one driving in a run for Madras. Danny Jackson got the other RBI for the Buffs. Reed Simmelink got the other hit.
The Buffs got on the board with a run in the second when Jackson singled in Reed Simmelink. Clarkson then gave Stockton a bit of breathing room with his RBI single in the fifth, scoring Dasen Rodriguez.
Offensively, the Buffs have been struggling mightily. In their last five games, they've scored just one run three times and two runs twice.
But the Buffs are very young, starting three or four sophomores and a freshmen, and having just two seniors, captains Clarkson and Noah Vibbert.
"As we mature and grow, I think we will mix for the next few years," said Shaw. "We have a number of guys who can pitch and play different positions. That is what I am the most excited about for our future.
Crook County and The Dalles have run away with the league lead with 10-1 and 10-2 records, respectively. Gladstone and Molalla are righting for third place with 6-6 and 5-6 records. Madras still has an outside shot at finishing tied for third at 3-9. Estacada is 1-11. Gladstone has been heating up and got a huge road win against The Dalles Thursday.
Riverhawks too much
The Dalles Riverhawks, the league's second-place team, hammered the Buff starter Jered Penaloza for eight runs in the first then cruised to a 13-2 five-inning win on May 1 in Madras.
Madras didn't quit and came back with two runs in the bottom of the first, but didn't have enough firepower to get back into the game.
Freshman Caleb Shank came into pitch in the second and did relatively well, allowing just five hits over three innings, and getting three strikeouts. Jonathan Rosales pitched the fifth inning for Madras and he didn't give up a hit, survived two walks, and didn't give up a run.
But errors, which have cost the Buffs throughout the season, hurt them Wednesday as well. They committed four errors and the Riverhawks took advantage of the sloppy defense to score two runs in the third and three in the fifth.
The light-hitting Buffalos got just three hits off The Dalles pitching, with Noah Vibbert getting two of them and the other senior on the team, Tyler Clarkson, getting the other hit. Vibbert and Clarkson both got doubles.
Madras next plays Crook County at home on Monday, May 6, then is at Estacada Wednesday before hosting Gladstone Thursday for Senior Night. The home games start at 4:30 p.m.
Tri-Valley Baseball Standings
as of May 5
(League record, overall record, OSAA power ranking)
Crook County 10-1, 15-4, 6
The Dalles 10-2, 16-7, 9
Gladstone 6-6, 10-13, 15
Molalla 5-6, 10-10, 22
Madras 3-9, 10-12, 21
Estacada 1-11, 7-15, 25
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