Cowboy baseball week

It was not the way that the Crook County Cowboys wanted to close out their home baseball season.

On Wednesday, May 8, playing on senior night with the league championship on the line, Crook County led for most of the game, but in the end fell to The Dalles 6-5. It was the second one-run loss that Crook County has suffered at the hands of the Riverhawks. That left Crook County and The Dalles both with two league losses, however, the Riverhawks hold the tiebreaker over the Cowboys as they took two of the three head-to-head matchups.

“We fought until the end,” Crook County head coach Steele Bailey said following the game. “We had some tough breaks in there, but the guys ... gave it their all. I am pleased with the fight. A couple of breaks one way or the other and it could have been a different story.”

The Cowboys scored three runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning to take the early lead. With Tyson Martinez seemingly in control on the mound, the Cowboys increased their lead to four with a run in the third inning on a Hayden Forman triple followed by a Riverhawk error.

The Dalles scored their first run of the game in controversial fashion when Martinez was called for a balk with a runner on third. That runner had reached first on an infield single, then gone to second on a on a weak ground ball to the pitcher that led to an out at first. He then went to third on a sacrifice bunt, before scoring on the balk.

Crook County scored in the bottom half of the inning when The Dalles pitcher Avery Schwartz was also called for a balk. The Cowboys had three stolen bases in the inning, but were unable to score any additional runs leaving runners stranded at second and third.

The Dalles took advantage of a couple of breaks and a Crook County error to score four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Austin Cummings reached base on an infield single. The next batter popped out to the catcher. Martinez thought he had struck the next batter out, and began to celebrate only to have the pitch called a ball. The batter eventually walked. A second walk in the inning loaded the bases.

Shortstop Austin Vaughan then fielded a ball near second base and stepped on the bag for the second out of the inning. Vaughan then threw high to first in a play that could have ended the inning. However, first baseman Trenton Tucker was unable to come down with the ball and two runs scored. Schwartz then singled, putting runners on first and second. The runners advanced to second and third on a called strike that catcher Tyis Yustat was unable to catch cleanly. Sam Shaver then hit a ball to left that Vaughan dove for. The ball was momentarily in Vaughan’s glove, but popped out when he hit the ground, leading to the final two runs of the inning.

Vaughan replaced Martinez on the mound to start the sixth inning. Martinez left the mound with eight strikeouts while giving up five hits, but he walked five batters. Vaughan also had control problems, walking five in two innings of work, while striking out three. Crook County loaded the bases in the sixth inning, but were unable to score. The Dalles then scored the winning run in the seventh inning on a walk and a wild pitch followed by a single from Schwartz. The Cowboys were unable to score in the bottom of the seventh.

Schwartz pitched five innings for The Dalles, allowing four hits and five runs while striking out six and walking four. Will Booth pitched the remaining two innings for the Riverhawks, walking four and striking out three while not allowing a hit.

The Dalles put the capper on the league title with a 2-0 road win against Estacada Friday.

Sweep Molalla

Crook County took care of business Friday, taking a pair of road games from the Molalla Indians to close out the regular season in second place in the Tri-Valley Conference.

The Cowboys took game one 5-3 then closed out the evening with a 7-5 win. Crook County led wire-to-wire in the first game, scoring a run in the top of the second and four in the third. Molalla scored a pair of runs in the third and one in the seventh.

The Cowboys had 11 hits in the contest to six for Molalla. Gage Martinez and Trenton Tucker both had doubles while Hayden Forman, Austin Vaughan, Ethan Lamphere and Gage Martinez all went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Tucker went 2-for-4. Zach Allen, Tyis Yustat and Tyson Martinez each had singles.

Clayton Dill pitched a complete game for Crook County, walking two, while striking out five.

Game two was a different story. Molalla took an early lead with a pair of runs in the third inning before Crook County took control with a pair of runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, three in the sixth, and one in the seventh. Molalla then scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, before the Cowboys were able to get out of the inning and the game.

Once again Crook County hit the ball well, blasting 10 hits in the game. Yustat, Tucker and Allen both had doubles while Yustat and Forman both had two hits. Gage Martinez, Tyson Martinez and Dill each had a single.

Yustat threw three innnings for the Cowboys giving up four hits and two runs, while walking two and striking out four. Carson Knudtson then threw two innings, allowing one hit, and striking out one, while walking three. Zach Allen then threw one and a third innings, allowing one hit and three runs, only one of which was earned. Allen walked two and struck out one. Forman then closed out the game on the mound, not allowing a hit, while walking one and striking out two in two-thirds of an inning. The four Crook County pitchers combined to limit Molalla to just six hits.

Madras blowout

On Monday, May 6, the Cowboy were all over Madras pitching and watched the Buffs make 10 errors in the field as the Cowboys won 25-6.

Despite the lopsided score, the Cowboys could easily have won by even more as they scored at least three runs in each of the five innings that were played before the game was called due to the 10-run rule. Crook County scored four in the first, three in the second, eight in the third, and five in both the fourth and fifth innings. Meanwhile, Madras scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and added two more runs in both the third and fourth innings.

Crook County blasted 17 hits in the contest, and were aided by eight Madras errors along with nine walks. Meanwhile, Crook County pitchers limited Madras to six hits, however, they walked eight batters and the Cowboys committed a pair of errors.

Ten different Cowboys had at least one hit in the contest with both Tyis Yustat going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, while Gage Martinez went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple. Cody Kurtz went 2-for-2 with a double, while Tyson Martinez went 3-for-5 at the plate and Hayden Forman went 2-for- 3. Other Cowboys to get hits included Clayton Dill, Austin Vaughan, Trenton Tucker, Ethan Lamphere and Zach Allen, who each had a single.

“Since we have four games this week we wanted to end it in five and keep the wear and tear down,

Bailey said. “The guys keep hitting the ball and keep doing well.”

Kurtz started on the mound and threw 56 pitches in two innings of work. Carson Knudtson came in to start the third inning and threw just 46 pitches in three innings.

Crook County heads into the post season with a 19-5 overall record, ranked eighth in the OSAA power rankings. Meanwhile, Molalla fell to 5-9 in league and 10-14 overall.

Crook County 25, Madras 6 at Madras, May 6

Crook County – 4 3 8 5 5 – 25 17 2

Madras – 2 0 2 2 0 – 6 6 8

The Dalles 6, Crook County 5

at Crook County, May 8

The Dalles – 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 – 6 6 3

Crook County – 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 – 5 4 2

Crook County doubleheader with Molalla, May 10

Game 1

Crook County 5, Molalla 3

at Molalla

Crook County – 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 – 5 11 1

Molalla – 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 – 3 6 3

Game 2

Crook County – 0 0 0 2 1 3 1 – 7 10 1

Molalla – 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 – 5 6 4

Final Tri-Valley Conference Standings

(League record, overall record, OSAA ranking)

The Dalles 13-2, 19-7, 7

Crook County 13-2, 19-5, 8

Gladstone 8-7, 12-14, 15

Molalla 5-10, 10-14, 22

Madras 4-11, 11-14, 20

Estacada 2-13, 8-17, 25