They were laughers, and Saturday's 11-6 and 13-1 Wood River prep varsity baseball wins over the visiting Preston Indians certainly put a broad smile on Matt Nelson's face.
Nelson has been coaching the Wolverines for two years, and it was the first time in nine tries that Wood River has swept a doubleheader. The Hailey boys had been 1-15 in twinbill games over two years, seven of the double-dips being played on the road.
No doubt winning two games was a sweet feeling, especially coming over the reigning Great Basin Conference champion Preston squad, which is young and rebuilding this spring.
"It was a good day—lots of positive things going on," said Nelson in the Founders Field dugout afterward. "The big thing is we got our bats out, started hitting and put guys in scoring position.
"They were great pick-me-up games for the kids."
After losing three times to Preston by combined 36-11 scores last spring, Wood River (4-0 home) put the hurt on the Indians this time around with a 24-7 scoring advantage. The Wolverines ripped out 22 hits against the youthful Indian pitching staff, 11-1 losers to Minico at Rupert Friday.
Wood River (5-9, 2-2 league) got solid pitching by senior Kenny Cardona (1-2) in the opener and junior Pat Patterson (1-3) in the nightcap shortened after five of seven regulation frames by the 10-run rule.
Both pitchers had early cushions, Wood River jumping ahead 6-0 after two innings of the first game and 11-0 after just two at-bats in the finale.
Three walks, a hit batsman and a two-run single by Michale Brunker (2 hits, 4 RBI) made it 3-0 Hailey in Saturday's opener. A one-out double by Drew Anderson (2 hits, 2 runs), RBI single by Kyle Rose and RBI triple by Erik Jacobson (2 hits, 2 runs) made it 6-0 after two frames.
Ahead 7-3 in the home fourth, Wood River added two more runs on a two-out triple by Patterson (2 hits, 2 runs) and a two-run Brunker double. Tyler Israel chipped in two hits to the 13-hit attack and reliever Trent Seamons mopped up for Cardona for the 11-6 final score.
The second game was no contest. Throwing low strikes, some called that way and some not, Patterson (80 pitches, 3 hits, 10 K, 3 BB) was in command throughout for his first victory of the spring. He didn't allow a run until the fifth and final frame.
Hailey scored early and often.
A leadoff triple by Wolverine shortstop Drew Anderson (2 hits, 2 runs) fueled Wood River's five-run first. Brunker (2 runs) followed with an RBI single, Sean Bunce delivered a two-out RBI single and Seamons (2 hits, 2 runs, 4 RBI) blasted a two-run triple making the score 5-0.
Wood River sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run second. Four walks, a hit batsman, a two-run single by Seamons, RBI double by Israel and run-scoring hit by Anderson changed it to 11-0, Wolverines.
Jacobson's monstrous first-pitch leadoff homer in the third put a punctuation mark on the nine-hit Hailey attack.
Wood River, having played at Filer (3-9) on Tuesday, hosts the 5A Twin Falls Bruins (12-6) Thursday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m. at Founders Field and then entertains undefeated and #2-ranked Jerome (13-0, 2-0) Monday in a home league contest.
The Wolverines and Jerome tangle again Tuesday on the Jerome diamond.
Jerome opened its Great Basin Conference West quest with 6-2 and 11-3 wins over Burley last week and the Tigers go against reigning Great Basin West champion Minico (12-5, 1-1) Tuesday and today.
Wood River and Jerome have at it April 23-24. Burley and Minico square off April 24-25 to finalize seedings for the four-team league tourney starting Thursday, May 3.
Michale Brunker bangs out another hit for Wood River. Photo by David N. Seelig
