YREKA – It was senior night. The crowd was large. Other than the frigid temperature, it was the perfect setting for Yreka to clinch at least a share of the Northern Athletic League baseball title, with a win over the Anderson Cubs. Instead, Murphy’s Law got in the way. Just about everything that could have gone wrong did.

Ethan Garrett led off the bottom of the first inning for the Miners, and reached on an error. He stole second base. That was normal. Then, Garrett was caught stealing at third base. That doesn’t happen. Two batters later, Kurt Lorenzini picked up a bloop double, but the runner had already been erased and no Miner runs would score.

Rodney Grant led off the bottom of the second with a walk, and was then picked off first base. Clint Amaral singled and Devin Howard took a walk. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, but Yreka failed to bring them home. The game remained scoreless after two innings.

Anderson broke the ice in the top of the third inning, taking advantage of two hits, two walks, and three errors to score two runs. With two outs in the bottom half, Lorenzini doubled again for Yreka, and advanced to third on a failed pick off attempt by the Anderson pitcher. But, the Miners were unable to bring him home.

In the top of the fourth inning, a walk, a hit batter, and an error plated two more runs for Anderson to make it 4-0. Yreka went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half.

Wade Berryhill relieved Yreka starter Ethan Garrett in the top of he fifth inning. Two hits and an error led to another Anderson run, making it 5-0. Then, the never-say-die Miners did what they have done several times this year. They began a comeback.

Howard reached on an error to start the bottom of the fifth. Robert Moeai walked and Howard moved to second base. A passed ball allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Wade Berryhill hit a ground ball that should have been a run producing out, but Anderson elected to go home with the throw. The throw was too late, the Miners scored without giving up an out, and it appeared Murphy’s Law had found a new home.

Lorenzini followed Berryhill with an RBI double to score Moeai, and make it 5-2. Unfortunately, Murphy’s Law shifted back to the Miners, when Lorenzini was doubled up on a ball hit in the air to second base.

Yreka held Anderson scoreless in the top of the sixth. In the bottom half, Rodney Grant singled to lead off. Two batters later, Amaral singled, and Grant moved to second. A wild pitch allowed the Miner runners to move up to second and third. After a Miner pop out, Moeai was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Garrett was also hit by a pitch, which forced in a run, making the score 5-3. Amaral scored on a wild pitch, and it was 5-4. Moeai came home on a Berryhill single, and Garrett moved to third. Then, with Lorenzini at the plate and runners on first and third, Yreka attempted a double steal. Garrett was thrown out at the plate, ending the inning.

Andrew Ward took the hill for the Miners in the top of the seventh inning. The first two batters singled, but Lorenzini gunned out a Cub attempting to steal third base, leaving just a runner on first base. Ward struck out the next batter looking. The next Cub picked up an infield single, giving Anderson runners on first and second. The next batter hit a corkscrew dribbler towards first base that eluded three Miners and allowed the Anderson runner to score from second base, giving Anderson back the lead 6-5.

All three Yreka batters struck out in the bottom of the seventh—two swinging, and one looking.

Lorenzini led the Miners’ offense, going 3-4, with an RBI, and three doubles. Amaral went 2-3, with a run scored. Grant was 1-3, with a run and a walk. Berryhill knocked in a pair of runs, and was 1-4. Moeai walked, was hit by a pitch, and scored two runs.

Garrett started on the mound for the Miners and pitched four innings (4R, 2H, 5BB, 4K, HB). Berryhill pitched two innings in relief (R, 4H, 3K). Ward pitched the seventh and was saddled with a tough loss (R, 4H, K).

The Miners’ loss combined with Central Valley’s 14-4 win over Lassen, puts Yreka and CV in a tie for the NAL lead at 6-3. Yreka faces Lassen (1-8) on Friday, May 2, and CV takes on West Valley (5-4). A Yreka win ensures them of at least a share of the NAL title. A win and a CV loss will make the Miners outright champions.

The Miners came into the week ranked fourth in the NSCIF D-II playoff hunt, behind CV, and ahead of Corning.