Taft High junior Eli DeMello homered twice, doubled and closed out the game in relief Tuesday to help improve the Tigers to 13-10 overall and 9-4 in league play with a 7-2 baseball victory at Catlin Gabel.
“We struggled tonight to produce and push runs across the plate,” Taft coach Matt Hilgers said. “At one point, we had eight hits and only three runs to show for it. We need to hit with runners on and get them across the plate.”
DeMello, who went 1 2/3s hitless innings to finish out the game on the hill for Taft, went 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs as the Tigers scored in the first inning and led the rest of the way behind senior starter Bleiz Kimbrough and junior reliever Trenton Fisher.
“We made a few base-running mistakes again that costs us runs. Fielding and pitching we were solid, which kept us in the game and allowed for us to hold on for the victory.”
Sophomore Fco Ramos and freshman Kaden Hindman had two hits each for the Tigers.
Taft, ranked ninth, concludes it regular season Friday with a 3 p.m. Special District 2 doubleheader at Clatskanie.
“We have two games Friday after a bus trip and need to show up ready to play a full day of baseball,” Hilgers said.
Taft 7, Catlin Gabel 2 TAFT AB R H BI CATLIN GABEL AB R H BI Trenton Fisher 4 0 1 1 Mike Hart 4 0 0 0 Eli DeMello 4 3 4 2 Wyatt Hoke 4 1 1 0 Cody Knott 3 0 1 1 Kellen Woodcock 3 0 1 0 Tyee Fisher 3 1 0 0 Sean Van Zoli 4 1 1 0 Bleiz Kimbrough 4 1 1 1 Jed Walen Stewart 4 0 1 0 Fco Ramos 4 0 2 0 Jonathan Edelman 2 0 0 0 Kaden Hindman 4 1 2 0 Eamon Walsh 2 0 0 0 Lucas Hindman 3 0 1 1 Braden Wells 3 0 1 1 Jordan Hall 4 1 1 0 Dylan Lian 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 33 7 13 6 TOTALS 28 2 5 1 TAFT 101 012 2 -- 7 CATLIN GABEL 001 001 0 -- 2 LOB--TAFT 8, CATLIN GABEL 9. E--Fco Ramos, Cody Knott, Wyatt Hoke, Eamon Walsh, Kellen Woodcock, Braden Wells (2). 2B--Bleiz Kimbrough, Eli DeMello. HR--Eli DeMello (2). HBP--Jonathan Edelman, Eamon Walsh. SACF--Lucas Hindman. SB--Kaden Hindman, Jordan Hall. TAFT IP H R ER BB SO HR Bleiz Kimbrough (W) 2.67 4 1 1 2 2 0 Trenton Fisher 2.67 1 1 1 0 1 0 Eli DeMello 1.67 0 0 0 0 2 0 CATLIN GABEL Kellen Woodcock (L) 5.67 11 5 5 2 2 2 Wyatt Hoke 1.33 2 2 0 0 1 0 PB--Sean Van Zoli. WP--Eli DeMello, Wyatt Hoke, Kellen Woodcock. SO--Tyee Fisher, Lucas Hindman, Jordan Hall, Sean Van Zoli (2), Eamon Walsh (2), Dylan Lian. BB--Tyee Fisher, Cody Knott, Kellen Woodcock, Dylan Lian.
