WEED – When the COS Eagles baseball squad took the field in their retro uniforms, you had a feeling that they were going to play well against the rival Shasta Knights. The Eagles donned the powder blue uniforms as part of a day honoring former COS coach Dennis DeRoss, and his 1984 team that won the Golden Valley Conference, and finished as the state runner-up.

DeRoss tossed the first pitch, but it was Shasta who stole the show early. The Knights Erik Larsen opened up the game with a walk, and moved to second on a ground out. Etna High graduate Robbie Brown singled, scoring Larsen. Brown swiped second and third base. The next Knight struck out, but Curtis Crosby reached on an error and advanced to second. Brown scored to make it 2-0 for Shasta. The Knights scored again in the inning to make it 3-0. COS went down 1-2-3 in their half of the first inning.

Shasta had a pair of base runners in the second inning, but failed to score. Billy Deaton, Justin Anderson, and Derrick Hemmele all came up with two-out singles to load the bases, but COS was unable to push a run across the plate.

Nate Wallen led off the top of the third inning with a double for Shasta. Wallen advanced to third on a ground out, and scored when Jake Savicki grounded out, making it 4-0. Andrew Swensen opened up the bottom half with a single for COS. With two down, Bobby Mapes reached on an error, and Swenson scored. Although Mapes advanced all the way to third on the error, the Eagles were unable to bring him home. At the end of three innings, it was Shasta 4-1 - COS 1.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning. The Knights had a couple of base runners in the top of the fifth inning, but a gutsy 2-6-3 double play initiated by COS catcher Justin Anderson helped to control the threat.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Eagle Nick Reynolds singled, and advanced to second base on Eric Savage’s hit. Reynolds stole third, and scored when Mapes flied out to right field, to edge COS closer, at 4-2.

The Eagles added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Hemmele scored via a Reynolds double, making the score 4-3. Both squads went quietly in the seventh inning.

Eagle pitcher Kenny Licea struck out the first two Knights in the top of the eighth inning, on the way to a 1-2-3 inning. In the bottom half, Anderson led off with a single. Then, Hemmele doubled to drive in Anderson and knot the score at 4-4. After a pitching change, Hemmele advanced to third base on a sacrifice, and scored on a Swenson single, giving COS the lead 5-4.

The lead off batter for Shasta in the top of the ninth inning scorched a ball to the left of Eagle third baseman Eric Savage, who made an excellent diving stop and threw to first to record the out. Licea struck out the next batter. Shasta’s Scott Hogan singled, and COS brought in Yreka High graduate Aaron Jorgensen to close out the game. Jorgensen got the final out, when Ben Mielke popped up to first base, preserving the 5-4 COS win.

Hemmele led the Eagles offense, going 4-4, with two runs, an RBI, and a double. Anderson went 3-4 with a run scored. Swenson and Reynolds were each 2-5, with a run, an RBI, and a steal a piece. Reynolds had a double. Mapes had two RBI.

Licea started and notched the win for the Eagles (8 2/3IP, 10H, 4R, 3ER, BB, 4K). Jorgensen registered a save.

The Eagles are now 8-13 in the GVC (14-20), and will travel to Quincy to play a double header against Feather River on Saturday, April 26.