Tigers tumble in final game of Madras spring break tournament

Taft High erupted for four first-inning runs but couldn’t hold off Class 4A Cascade despite six innings of work and three hits and two runs from junior starter Eli DeMello in a 7-5 defeat Saturday at the Madras Spring Break Baseball Tournament.

“We played much better today,” Taft coach Matt Hilgers said following a 11-3 defeat to Class 5A Crook County on Friday. “We came out with a lot of energy and it showed the first inning. We need work on continuing to carry that energy throughout the game.”

Senior outfielder Tyee Fisher had the Tigers other hit and drove home a run. Junior Trenton Fisher and seniors Cody Knott and Bleiz Kimbrough scored for Class 3A Taft against the Cougars (2-3) of the Oregon West Conference.

“Cascade was a good team and we competed with them,” Hilgers said. “We have found some of our areas of improvement and we will work on those this upcoming week before we have our final tune-up games and then head into league play the second week of April.”

The Tigers (3-5) open a five-game home stand when they meet Santiam Christian and Dayton in 4:30 p.m. games Thursday and Friday before opening Special District 2 play Tuesday, April 9, at against Rainier.

Cascade 7, Taft 5

TAFT                 AB  R  H BI   CASCADE          AB  R  H BI
Trenton Fisher        4  1  0  0  Jake Whisman       4  1  2  0  
Eli DeMello           4  2  3  0  Colton Gumc        3  1  1  0  
Cody Knott            2  1  0  0  Kyle Mcalister     1  0  0  0  
Tyee Fisher           3  0  1  1   Grayson Reeder    2  1  1  1  
Bleiz Kimbrough       2  1  0  0  Jared Powell       2  0  0  1  
Kaden Hindman         3  0  0  0   Caleb Boyles      1  0  0  0  
Lucas Hindman         3  0  0  0  Tommy Mcguire      3  1  1  1  
FCO Ramos             3  0  0  0  Chance Tobiasson   3  2  1  0  
Ethan Thomas          3  0  0  0  Isaac Schnepp      3  1  2  0  
                                  TJ Marquez         3  0  1  0  
                                  Will Ramos         3  0  1  2  
TOTALS               27  5  4  1  TOTALS            28  7 10  5

TAFT                       400 010 0 -- 5  
CASCADE                    000 412 x -- 7  

LOB--Taft3, Cascade 5. E--Jordan Hall, Chance
Tobiasson, Isaac Schnepp, TJ Marquez (2), Tommy Mcguire.
2B--Tyee Fisher, Eli DeMello. SACF--Grayson Reeder.
SB--Lucas Hindman, Bleiz Kimbrough, Jake Whisman, Tommy
Mcguire, Colton Gumc.

 TAFT                     IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Eli DeMello (L)         6.00   10    7    5    1   10    0
 CASCADE                  
Kyle Mcalister          1.00    1    4    1    2    1    0
Grayson Reeder (W)      6.00    3    1    0    0    4    0

PB--Kaden Hindman. WP--Eli DeMello, Kyle Mcalister (3).
SO--Tyee Fisher, Lucas Hindman, Ethan Thomas, Bleize
Kimbrogh, FCO Ramos, Jared Powell, Jake Whisman, Grayson
Reeder, Isaac Schnepp, Caleb Boyles, TJ Marquez, Tommy
Mcguire (2), Colton Gumc (2). BB--Bleize Kimbrogh, Cody
Knott, Colton Gumc.