A veteran team leader and a speedy youngster led the way for the Humboldt Eagles in difficult conditions over the weekend.

The local American Legion baseball club traveled to Mendocino County for a doubleheader against Willits on Saturday and had to battle more than just their opponents.

Because of some pregame miscommunication, the Eagles thought the games were being played at Mendocino College and had to travel back to Willits at the last minute.

They got to the field just 15 minutes before the first pitch.

And the problems didn’t end there.

The Eagles had just 10 players on hand for the games and had to play in 100 degree heat, something the Humboldt County players are not used to.

Defensively, the Eagles committed several errors and ended up losing both games by scores of 12-9 and 8-6.

However, despite the setbacks, there were several bright spots for the team.

Team leader Rylan Lommori continued to set the tone for his younger teammates on both sides of the plate, catching both games in the extreme heat and also finishing 3-for-3 in the second game.

“The guy that continues to impress me is Rylan Lommori,” head coach Tommy Gale said. “He’s a total gamer. It’s hard to imagine he would want out of a game. That’s his character.”

His young teammate Able Estes also had a good day as he continues to showcase his upside.

The speedy Estes, who was a freshman at Eureka this past spring, caused the Willits defense some serious problems on the bases.

“You can’t teach speed,” Gale said. “And that guy is the fastest kid on the field at all times.”

Estes, according to his coach, had double digits in steals.

“He steals bases at will,” Gale added. “Everyone in the stadium knows he’s going to steal and he takes it anyway.”

Pitches Cooper Ohlsen and Mateo Gutierrez each also impressed after getting the starts on the mound, but unfortunately neither got the necessary defensive support.

“I thought they pitched great,” Gale said.

With limited players on hand for most games — a common concern for most summer teams — most of the players have to be versatile and are playing unfamiliar roles at times.

That can be a good thing for the players’ development, which is a big part of summer baseball, but it’s also one of the reasons the Eagles had so many errors in Saturday’s doubleheader.

“Guys are playing out of position, and that makes it tough,” the Eagles head coach said. “It’s part of what we’re dealing with right now.”

However, the players battled hard in the heat and that earned them the respect of their coach.

“What impressed me is their mental strength to fight through that, the mix-up with the field and the weather,” Gale said. “We battled all day long. That’s the thing I was most impressed with.”

The Eagles will try to get back on track when they travel to play the Northern Humboldt Giants on Tuesday evening, before heading to Fortuna to play a doubleheader against the Southern Humboldt 76ers on Thursday.