The North Coos Waterfront has had an up-and-down start to the American Legion season, including a split with visiting Churchill of Eugene on Monday.
The Waterfront lost the first game 5-1, the North Coos run coming on a home run by Sam Mickelson. In the nightcap, the Waterfront won 11-5. Jalen Riddle and Luke Wheeling both went 2-for-3 with a double. Hunter Wheeling threw a complete game and Caden Hunt had a single and two doubles.
Earlier North Coos had also split a doubleheader with Roseburg Pepsi in its league opener, split a nonleague twin bill with Brookings and dropped a pair of games to league newcomer Eugene Ole’s.
North Coos nearly swept the doubleheader with Roseburg, but a bad final inning cost the Waterfront a sweep.
The North Coos win came by a score of 3-2. Knoll Gederos, Luke Wheeling and Aiden Nelson scored the runs and the Wheeling brothers combined to give up just two runs, both in the second inning.
Roseburg won the second game 7-6, scoring six runs in the seventh inning, including a home run by Jairrus Coleman.
North Coos had taken a 5-1 lead to the seventh after scoring three runs in the fifth inning.
Payton Forrester had two runs and Carter Brock, Mickelson and the two Wheelings also scored. Bryant Wicks was stellar pitching into the seventh inning before Roseburg rallied.
Against Brookings, North Coos fell 2-1 and won 11-1. Against Eugene, the scores were 15-1 and 18-0.
North Coos has a busy schedule over the next few weeks, with the ultimate goal qualifying for the Legion A State Tournament, this year hosted by North Marion. The team includes players from North Bend and Reedsport. Siuslaw, which also had been part of the team, has its own team this year.
June 24-26 Philomath tournament
June 28 at Roseburg (doubleheader)
July 5 vs. South Coos (doubleheader)
July 11 vs. Brookings (doubleheader)
July 13 at Eugene Ole’s (doubleheader)
July 15 at South Coos (doubleheader)