KLAMATH FALLS, Ore – The Klamath Falls Falcons (1-1; 6-8) split a doubleheader at home against the Eugene Challengers (6-2; 17-6) on Wednesday night. The Falcons dropped the opener 14-2 but bounced back in the nightcap to snag a 4-2 win.
GAME 1: EUGENE 14, KLAMATH FALLS 2 (5 innings)
The Challengers got on the board in the first inning when the 5A Player of the Year Eli Crist wrapped a two-RBI single to right field. The Falcons responded with a Connor Shively RBI single, then Shively would score when he stole home on a throw down to second base.
That would be the end of the offense in the first game for the Falcons. Eugene began to separate themselves in the top of the third inning when they plated four runs. Caden Richardson hit a two-RBI bases-clearing triple, then Jalen Riddle singled in two more runs. The Challengers added a single run in the fourth before slamming the door with a seven-run fifth inning. Richardson hit another triple to lead off the inning, and a two-RBI double later in the frame.
Mark Carpenter picked up his second loss of the season allowing 10 hits and striking out seven in 4.2 innings of work. Of the 13 runs that scored on Carpenters watch, only six were earned. Chase Knecht got the final out of the fifth. Collin Hernandez pitched a complete game for the Challengers.
GAME 2: KLAMATH FALLS 4, EUGENE 2
The Falcons rallied for two runs in the fourth, and two more in the sixth to earn their first win in Area 4 league play.
The Challengers scored the first runs in the nightcap, plating two runs in the second on a wild pitch plus an error. Those two unearned runs would prove to be all the Challenger could muster against Oregon Tech commit Marcos Ulloa-Ford.
Ulloa-Ford pitched a complete game allowing six hits and striking out seven batters in 7.0 innings of work. Kyle Miller got the start for Eugene and worked 6.0 innings allowing six hits, four runs, and struck out four batters.
Ulloa-Ford also swung the bat well. In the fourth inning he hit an RBI double to score Mark Carpenter. Corbin Hamilton hit a sacrifice fly to even the game 2-2. The Falcons added two more runs in the sixth with back to back RBI singles from Hamilton and Kollin Tacchini.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Falcons head to Medford for the annual Coach K Classic. They’ll play Grants pass at 10:00 a.m. and Chico at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, then they’ll meet Fairfield, Reno, then Roseburg to close the tournament on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday respectively. The Falcons return to Area 4 league play on Monday when they visit the Challengers at Swede Johnson Stadium in Eugene.
