Cubs at home-split with Orofino

The Lewis-Clark Cub hurlers were strong in the first game, but shaky in the second, allowing Orofino to salvage a split during a league doubleheader Wednesday at Harris Field.

The Cubs won the opener 5-4, but bowed in the nightcap 14-2.

L-C rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the first game to win by a single run, scoring once in the fifth inning and twice in the sixth. The Cubs scored the decisive run in the sixth when Gavin Grijalva bunted safely to load the bases before Coy Stout was struck by a pitch, sending an L-C runner home.

"It was just a good team effort and I think we got a good pitching performance," said L-C coach Ramon Royce, who singled out reliever Keegen Tanata. "(Tanata) came in and competed on the bump."

The second game was all Orofino.

L-C pitchers walked nine Merchants and "we got behing in a lot of counts," Royce said.

The Cubs coach also noted his team struggled with situational hitting.

Orofino, on the other hand, did not. The Merchants had 13 hits - four of those coming from Bayley Noah, who had two doubles and a triple. Kolby Brink, who had five hits in two games on Tuesday, added four more on Wednesday. The ex-Orofino High standout swatted a double and a home run in the first game.

The Cubs moved to 4-7 overall and 3-5 in league play with the split. They play host to St. Maries on Friday in a doubleheader.

FIRST GAME

Orofino Merchants 013 000 0-4 7 1

Lewis-Clark Cubs 002 012 x-5 7 3

Stephens, Turcott (6) and Wilson. Moliga, Tanata (4) and Stamper.

Orofino hits - Turcott, Wilson, Brink 2 (2B, HR), Noah, Howard, Hall.

Lewis-Clark hits - Wallace 2, Stout, Beckman, Stamper, Lopez 2.

SECOND GAME

Orofino Merchants 260 006-14 13 0

Lewis-Clark Cubs 002 000- 2 7 1

Olive and Turcott. Stout, Bonfield (3), Woods (4), Alspach (6) and Hanchett.

Orofino hits - Burke, Barajas, Turcott 2, Wilson, Brink 2, Noah 4 (2-2B, 3B), Walz, Sparano.

Lewis-Clark hits - Lopez 2, Moliga, Woods, Stamper, Hanchett (2B), Skinner.