Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Humboldt Eagles at the Arcata Ball Park on Wednesday night.

By Ray Hamill — They may be low in numbers right now, but the Humboldt Eagles will be hoping to build some momentum this weekend.

The local American Legion club began the 2024 summer season at the Arcata Bay Park on Wednesday when they fell 6-1 to the Humboldt Crabs.

But the Eagles responded well with a 5-2 win over the Northern Humboldt Giants in Eureka on Friday night for their first win of the season.

They will try to keep that going when they travel to Mendocino College on Sunday to play a doubleheader against Santa Rosa.

Numbers, however, are down this summer with just 10 or 11 players expected to travel to Ukiah for the weekend doubleheader.

Head coach Tommy Gale is still finalizing his roster and is hoping to add some more players this coming week.

In the meantime, some of the players he has available have been impressing through the first two games of the summer season, including catcher Rylan Lommori.

The 2023 Fortuna graduate, who played a key role in the Huskies’ historic season last year, scored his team’s only run of the night against the Crabs and has been helping to set the tone for some of his younger teammates from behind the plate.

“He’s been good catching for us,” Gale said. “He’s a hard worker and very coachable and I’m looking forward to watching him this year.”

A pair of Eureka High freshmen also have impressed early in the season for the Eureka-based club.

Matt Pleasant played second base on Friday night and looks like he may hold down a starting role this summer.

“He’s committed for the summer and I think he’s going to be one of our starters and a real contributor,” said Gale, who also coaches Pleasant in high school. “It’s going to be good working with him this summer. He’s got a good future ahead of him.”

Another Eureka High freshman, Ryder Mitchell, also impressed in Friday night’s win.

Mitchell, who started on defense in right field for the Loggers for much of the spring, got the start on the mound on Friday.

He was limited to two plus innings (45 pitches) in order to keep him available for Sunday’s doubleheader, but did enough to impress his head coach.

For good measure, Mitchell also hit a double off the left field fence.

After Sunday’s games in Ukiah, the Eagles will return to the North Coast to host the Southern Humboldt 76ers at Belotti Field across from the Redwood Acres on Thursday night at 6 p.m.