In a sport where the no statistic is overlooked, there is also a saying to sum up every situation in baseball.
So on Saturday, the Wood River baseball team opened the home season with a twinbill against Pocatello, where they played a little long ball and they played a little bingo. Both methods resulted in wins.
Wood River (10-3, 2-0 league) claimed the opener 6-2, breaking open a 2-2 tie with a four-run, six-hit fifth inning. Billy Kramer (2 hits) and Ted Dankanyin swatted RBI doubles and scored runs. Adding to Wood River's 11 hit total were Brady Femling (2 hits), Steve Hansen (2 hits) and Jonathan Dittmer (2 hits).
Senior pitcher Tyson Reynoso moved to 3-1 on the season with five innings of six-hit ball. Ted Dankanyin closed out the contest with two scoreless frames in which he gave up two hits.
After surrendering two hits and a run in the first inning of the nightcap, Casey Hawkes (2-0) settled down and tossed four scoreless innings in a 16-1 victory.
In addition to 11 hits, the Wolverines capitalized on six errors by the Indians, four base on balls and four hit batsmen.
Tyson Reynoso socked a pair of doubles and scored four runs. Brady Femling had two knocks and three runs, and Dylan Fullmer was 2-for-3 with a run. Leadoff hitter Morgan Uhrig (1 hit) scored three runs.
Coach Lars Hovey remarked, "One of the highlights is we did stay focused and didn't let down when we had the big lead. I thought the overall intensity was pretty good."
While the Wolverines produced 22 hits on offense, the defense was pretty tight with only one error on the day.
"It was great to be home," Hovey remarked.
On Thursday, the Wolverines traveled to Jerome for a Great Basin West league showdown against the Tigers.
"The Steve Hansen show," is how Hovey summed up the day, as the senior righthander tossed a complete game one-hitter in a 3-0 victory. In a 106-pitch effort, Hansen fanned 11 and issued two walks. Tiger Brady Black broke up his no-hit bid with a single in the fifth.
Jerome starter Tucker Thompson (4 hits) was perfect through the first three frames. In the fourth, Morgan Uhrig singled and went to third on an errant pick off attempt. Tyson Reynoso (.485) singled to plate Uhrig.
"Morgan did a good job breaking up the no-hitter," Hovey said.
Hailey added an insurance run in the sixth inning. Brady Femling (.375) scored on a suicide squeeze by Billy Kramer to make it 2-0.
"We knew the way Steve was throwing if we could get one more run we would win," Hovey recounted. "We called the squeeze on a 3-1 count. It was a curveball and Billy stuck with it and put it down the rightfield line."
Casey Hawkes scored an unearned run in Hailey's final at-bat and Hansen salted away the game with a one-two-three seventh, to send the Tigers down in order for the fourth time.
Wood River played league rival Minico yesterday and entertains Vallivue and Preston on Saturday. Game times are 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Founder's Field in Hailey.
Steve Hansen steals second with time to spare in game one of a doubleheader against Pocatello. Wood River won both games.
