Happy to be home for the first time this soggy season, the Wood River baseball team bounced back from a couple of league losses to Minico to best Preston twice Saturday.
"It was a big kicker getting back to Founder's Field," coach Matt Nelson said. "We've had a pretty good record here the last few seasons."
Founder's Field features very friendly confines for Wood River (5-9 overall, 0-2 league), as the Wolverines have compiled a 46-6 record against the visiting opposition dating back to 2002.
If not for the snow removal crew of Dave Nelson and Denny Patterson, Hailey might not have been at home Saturday, but thanks to a Herculean effort by the tireless boosters, the Wolverines took the field against the Preston Indians. Both teams were looking to get past losses to Minico earlier that week, with the Wolverines falling 9-0 and 5-2 to their Great Basin Conference West rival, and the Indians getting no-hit by Spartans pitcher Cody Winmill in an 11-0 loss.
Trailing Preston 8-5 in the opening game, the Wolverines pieced together a 9-run fifth inning and held off a late charge by Indians to win 16-12. Pitcher Trent Seamons (6 strikeouts, 4 hits) notched the win in relief of Greg Wakefield, and Pat Patterson got the save.
Moved to third in the lineup, Michale Brunker responded with a 5-for-5 performance with 2 runs. Brian Bray belted three hits, knocking in five. Seamons was 3-for-5 with a double and 3 runs scored. Inserted into the game in the third inning, outfielder Tyler Israel cracked two hits, including a double, and scored 3 runs.
"They were pretty happy to get that win as a lot of them play on the football team and Preston beat them pretty good during the season," Nelson remarked. "They were happy to get that back."
Happy, but not done.
Junior Sean Bunce (4 strikeouts, 5 hits, 1 walk) took the mound in the nightcap, and propped up the Wolverines' offensive effort with an efficient 64-pitch performance in which he threw 48 strikes.
"He was pretty outstanding," Nelson said. "He told me 'Coach, I'm feeling it today,' and he was," Nelson said.
Bunce tossed five scoreless frames in a 10-0 Wolverine win.
Hailey made it onto the scoreboard in the home third when Danny Kramer scored on a deep double to left by Juan Martinez. Nelson's nine rallied hard in the fourth, scoring six.
Brunker led off with a double, followed by a single up the middle by Seamons. The next two hits by Bray and Israel, also found their way to center. A booming fly by Kramer was dropped by the right fielder, and another run came in after Wakefield earned a base on balls. Martinez socked a long sacrifice fly and two came around on a hard hit by Bunce that was mishandled by the shortstop.
Wood River ended the game by 10-run mercy rule in the home fifth. Bray (walk), Israel (double) and Kramer (single) came around. Wakefield's RBI single scoring Kramer proved to be the game-winner.
"It was really good to get the wins. It gets the kids back to feeling good about themselves," Nelson said. "We are a month behind everyone in terms of getting outside, but the guys are getting in the groove and catching up quick. They are starting to smell baseball again."
Nelson called Thursday's 5-2 loss to Minico a "major turning point" in the season, in the wake of a 9-0 loss to the Spartans on Tuesday.
"We cut down a lot of errors in that game, and if not for a nasty hop and a passed ball, it's 2-2 going into the seventh."
After hosting Filer Tuesday, the Wolverines entertain Twin Falls on Thursday. The varsity game will start at 4 p.m., immediately followed by the junior varsity game, as the Bruins are bringing only one team to play both contests.
Wolverine pitcher Greg Wakefield had his tongue and groove going on the mound against the Indians. Photo by Willy Cook
