Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Del Norte catcher Daylen O’Reilley tags out Arcata’s Elam Wright at home plate during Saturday’s doubleheader at the Arcata Ball Park.
By Ray Hamill — Arcata’s Chet Keasey had a big two-out, two-RBI base hit in game two of a Saturday doubleheader against De Norte at the Arcata Ball Park, as the Tigers rallied for their seventh straight win.
The Arcata boys won both games, 10-3 and 5-3.
Trailing 3-2 to a Del Norte team that showed plenty of fight, the Tigers pulled ahead on Keasey’s big fourth-inning hit and never trailed after that.
“I thought the kids stepped up,” said Arcata head coach Troy Ghisetti, whose team improved to 9-2. “It was a Saturday doubleheader, waking up early, and they came to play. And our pitchers did a good job keeping us in there.”
Despite allowing two early runs, the Warriors had their chances and tied things up in the top of the third on a two-RBI Jared Dixon base hit.
Dixon gave his team the lead moments later, scoring on a fielding error.
Arcata pitcher Finn McRea shut the visitors down after that, throwing all seven innings for the win.
McRea allowed eight hits and no walks, while striking out four.
Ethan Thomas was just as effective for Del Norte, pitching seven solid innings himself.
Arcata pitcher Finn McRea
The sophomore starter allowed 10 hits and three walks, and struck out four.
“Our kids played the short game really well,” Ghisetti said.
Nick Parker continued to impress for the Tigers, finishing 2-for-3 with a double, giving him four hits on the day.
Vincent Agliolo also had two hits in game two, including a double, while Elam Wright added a double and Dean Wellik drove in an insurance run with a two-out base hit in the fifth.
McRea, Mason Nichols and Alex Gorge each also had a hit in the win.
For Del Norte, Daylen O’Reilley and Raymond Rusgrove each had two hits, including a double by Rusgrove, while William Bommelyn, Cooper Maxwell and Cole Blackburn each had a hit.
Del Norte pitcher Ethan Thomas
Arcata 10, Del Norte 3
Parker got the win on the mound in the opener, striking out seven in six innings, with Cedar Cline tossing one inning in relief to close out.
Parker also was 2-for-4, while McRea was 3-for-3, and Gorge and Wright each also had two hits.
Keasey, Agliolo, Nichols and Miles Oliver each also had a hit.
Del Norte’s Brody Mattz pitched four innings and took the loss on the mound.
At the plate for Del Norte, Mattz was 2-for-3 with a double, while Bommelyn, Dixon, Blackburn and Maxwell each also had a hit.
With the losses, a young Warriors team is now 2-10.
The Tigers will play a big three-game series against Eureka next week, beginning with a single game at the Arcata Ball Park on Wednesday.
“Eureka’s a very good team,” Ghisetti said. “And our kids are learning to win and learning to play the game the right way. It’s going to be a great test for us.”
