Falcon's Baseball now 2-0 in League; #10 in 4A

Gone are the dismal memories of a 3-12 season last year.  Gone are the recollections of a hopeless 0-10 league record in the 4A Sky-Em Conference in 2018.  Even as the Falcons were battling from behind twice during their contest with Cottage Grove, there was never that sense that the game was lost.  Rallying twice from deficits as both Bryson Estrella and Koble Peterson found themselves in pitching jams throughout, the Falcons bats erupted in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Elmira parlayed 6 hits, a walk and a Cottage Grove error into 7 runs, coming away with a 12-7 Sky-Em league victory over the Lions, Friday April 12 at Elmira High School.

What the game lacked in superlatives, it balanced with grit and determination.  Ayden Wolgamott walked 4 times and got a bases clearing double as an example.  No home runs, just basic opportunistic baseball, sound hitting as 4 of the 6 hits in the bottom of the fifth were doubles.  And while Falcons pitching showed chinks in the armor, Cottage Grove was never able to get out of reach.

Elmira played add on in the bottom of the sixth when Peterson scored on a wild pitch to seal the victory for the Falcons.

The victory moved Elmira to 8-2 (2-0 in league) and a sparkling #10 ranking in 4A.  Marshfield and Siuslaw come to Elmira High School this week, Tuesday and Friday respectively.  The weather adjustments mean that the Falcons second half of the season will be played almost entirely on the road in the second half of league play.


"I think the kids are starting to realize they can beat anybody in the league if we play the game the right way and limit our mistakes, said Elmira head baseball coach Ryan Wolgamott in an email. "I came into the season hoping we could be a .500 team in league.  I believe we can surpass that, even with injuries to Bryce Sawyer and Manny Massengil and Mikey Weaver leaving the team for the remainder of the year for a planned family trip.  We’re much younger now than when we started the season, but we’re getting some valuable experience in difficult situations."