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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels June 18, 2004 Sluggish Pilots swept by Phoenix By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Going on little practice and less rest, the Ashland Pilots looked like a team in dire need of both Thursday. Ashland pilots pitcher Andrew Del Carlo watches his throw head toward home plate Thursday afternoon. Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland's American Legion A baseball team was sluggish and sloppy during a pair of Area 4 losses in its season-opening doubleheader against Phoenix at sizzling North Mountain Park. Phoenix trounced Ashland 7-4 in Game 1 and 8-2 in the nightcap, as the Pilots struggled with fatigue and lack of concentration only hours after a large portion of the team returned from the Gold Beach football camp. "We've got to compete harder," Pilots' first-year coach Hank Munn said. "I hope they get some rest tonight and we come out and compete tomorrow better, because I wasn't tremendously happy with the effort tonight." Game 1 In the opener, Ashland catcher Robby Bruce slapped a run-scoring single in the bottom of the first to give the Pilots their first - and what proved to be their last - lead of the day. Back-to-back RBI singles by Chad Walker and Ryan Soriano helped Phoenix (3-3 Area 4) score four runs in the second and turn the tide. Ashland cut the deficit to 4-3 on Griff Sollinger's two-RBI single to left in the bottom of the third, but left two runners stranded and never got over the hump. Phoenix added two insurance runs on Walker's bases-loaded single in the sixth and another thanks to three walks and a hit batsmen in the seventh. Ashland, meanwhile, left two runners stranded in both the fifth and seventh innings, and ran itself out of the sixth when the speedy Aaron Decker was caught stealing second. "About six of us just got back from football camp, so we've been running around at the beach on the sand for five, six days now and we're all just really tired," said Bruce, who arrived back in Ashland at about noon for the 3 p.m. opener. "We could definitely, absolutely, 100 percent be .500. Today, we were just half-dead." Andrew Del Carlo started for Ashland and went 5 2/3 innings before Sollinger took over. Del Carlo (0-1) struck out four, walked five and allowed seven hits and two earned runs. Kraig Strong (1-1), a side-arm throwing right-hander, went the distance for Phoenix and held the Pilots to five hits and three earned runs. He struck out five and walked five. Game 2 The second game was more of the same, as Ashland gave up three runs (two unearned) in the top of the first, scored once in the bottom half, then was held scoreless until the sixth, when it was too late. This time, it was Phoenix pitcher Josh Lorton (1-1) who smothered the Pilot offense. Relying mostly on a hard-cutting curve ball, Lorton limited Ashland to two hits while striking out five in the complete-game victory. He didn't allow an Ashland baserunner to advance past second base between the second and sixth innings. For the Pilots, Decker (0-1) started on the hill and allowed seven hits and three earned runs before Aaron San Nicholas took over in the sixth. Phoenix scored an insurance run in the sixth thanks in part to two Ashland errors and added two more in the seventh in a rally that was centered around three walks and another Pilot error. "I think it's just a matter of getting these guys some rest," Munn said. "They're worn out. They're dog tired." Ashland's practice schedule leading up to its season-opener was limited by player absences, a battle Munn expects to face all summer long various sports camps swarm the Rogue Valley. The Pilots had just one full practice in which they were able to take an infield before facing Phoenix Still, Munn says he has high expectations. "I'm trying to develop them for the high school (season) next year, obviously, and gets some kids some experience, but at the same time I'm out here to win ball games," he said. "Realistically, I'd like to have a .500 season. That's a good goal right now. FIRST GAME Phoenix 004 002 1 - 7 6 0 Ashland 102 001 0 - 4 5 2 Strong and Harvey; Del Carlo, Sollinger (7) and Bruce. W - Strong (1-1). L - Del Carlo (0-1). 2B - P: Walker; A: Goldberg. SECOND GAME Phoenix 300 201 2 - 8 10 3 Ashland 100 001 0 - 2 2 3 Lorton and West; Decker, San Nicholas (6) and Bruce. W - Lorton (1-1). L - Decker (0-1). DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams