Cruisers Take 2 Out Of 3 From Eagles

After splitting their first two meetings earlier in the week, the Eatonville Cruisers snuck away with a 5-4 victory in the rubber match game against the Elma Eagles on Thursday afternoon.

Eatonville's Ashton Meyer steals a base against Elma. The Cruisers would go on to win the game 5-4. Photo: Eric Storm

After taking a 3-0 lead into the 5th inning, the Eagles would finally get on the board and push 4 runs across to take a 4-3 lead.

The Cruisers would battle back in the top of the 7th inning. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out, a wild throw by the pitcher attempting to pick the runner off first sails up the 1st baseline allowing Brandon Storm to score from 2nd base and Jakob Lucht goes from 1st to 3rd on the error.

With the game now tied at 4 apiece and Lucht at third, Blain Hanly hits a hard liner to shortstop scoring Lucht to give the Cruisers the lead at 5-4.

Lucht then shuts down any Eagle attempt at a comeback by forcing three flyouts to seal the victory.

Skylar Sarpy would get the start for the Cruisers and would give up three runs on two hits in 4⅓ innings of work. Jakob Lucht would come on in relief in the bottom of the fifth and finish out the game going 2⅔ innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 3 strikeouts to pick up the win.

Balin Hanly would go 1-3 at the plate driving in 2 Cruisers runs including the game-winner. Ashton Meyer drove in a run going 1-2 with 2 walks. Skylar Sarpy went 1-3 at the plate also driving in a run.

Earlier in the week, the Cruisers hosted the Eagles in a double-header that saw the Eagles take the first game 10-9.

Jakob Lucht would go 3-4 at the plate with a double, driving in 4 runs, and scoring 1. Riley Storm would pick up two hits in the game going 2-4 and scoring 2 runs and Riley Taylor would also pick up a couple of hits going 2-4 as well and scoring 1 run.

In the second game, the Cruisers jumped on the Eagles early, scoring 1 run in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Brandon Storm singled up the middle. Storm would then steal second base and A sacrifice bunt in the next at-bat by Lucht would push Storm to third. Copper Field would then drive Storm in on a single to right field to put the Cruisers up 1-0.

Eatonville would take on another 6 runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning highlighted by a Jakob Lucht double that drove in 3 Cruiser runs to take a 7–0 lead.

The Eagles would manage to plate 3 runs in the top of the 4th and another run in the 6th, but it wasn't enough as the Cruisers held on for the 7-4 win.

Payton Hanly went 3⅔ innings for the Cruisers, picking up the win after allowing 3 runs on 1 hit, walking 4, and striking out 3 Elma batters.

At the plate, senior Brandon Storm was 2-3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Jakob Lucht would drive in 3 runs while going 1-3 at the plate with a double. Payton Hanly would pick up 2 hits on the day in 3 at-bats.

Earlier in the week, the Cruisers would play host to the Rainier Mountaineers in a non-league game.

The Mountaineers would strike first and take a 1-0 lead end to the bottom half of the first inning, but the Cruisers to that lead back by plating 3 runs in the bottom half of the inning and then adding 3 more in the bottom of the second to lead.

Rainier would strike back in the top of the 3rd with 3 runs of their own to cut the Cruiser lead to 6-4.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, the Cruisers would extend their lead to 7-4 when Cooper Field hits a sacrifice fly to score Jakob Lucht.

The Mountaineers would manage 1 last run in the top of the 6th, but that would be all they could muster as the Cruisers would hold them scoreless in the final inning to take the 7-5 victory.

Brandon Storm would get the start on the mound for the Cruisers and go 2⅔ innings, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 2 to pick up the win.

Cooper Field would lead the Cruisers with 3 RBI on the day, going 1-1 at the plate with a double, 2 runs scored, and a walk. Skylar Sarpy would pick up 2 hits while going 2-3 at the plate with a double.