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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us July 20, 2005 Pilots pull out victory No. 10 Meets goal set prior to season by coach Senestraro, but comes up short in Game 2 By Amanda Bolsinger Tidings Correspondent ASHLAND CATCHER ROBERT BRUCE , right, tags out North Eugene Challengers’ baserunner Mike Dickman on a play at the plate during Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader at North Mountain Park. A 10-win season sounded like a lofty goal for the Ashland Pilots after their 2004 two-win season. But first-year coach Don Senestraro had faith that the boys he watched play high school baseball could show that much improvement during the summer legion season. He was right. The Pilots gained their 10th win of the season against the North Eugene Challengers on Tuesday, the second-to-last day of their American Legion A season. Ashland met their goal early, winning the first game 9-8 before dropping the nightcap 8-7. The nonleague doubleheader split gives the Pilots a record of 10-18 overall heading into today’s season finale at Central Point. In Game 1, Ashland pitcher Wes Dodds helped the Pilots take a 7-1 lead into the sixth inning. That’s when the wheels came off. Dodds gave up a triple, hit a batter, and the Pilots’ defense made two consecutive defensive errors, leading to three North Eugene runs. Pilots’ center fielder Aaron Nicholas responded with a triple to deep center to score two and give the Pilots back a much-needed cushion. Dodds took the mound in the seventh with a 9-4 lead and continued to struggle before being pulled after giving up three more runs. Gus Gaviglio took over with two runners on base. Ashland Pilots coach Don Senestraro , left, talks to Sheldon Cotts during Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader, which resulted in a split. Gaviglio struck out the first batter he faced for the second out of the inning. An infield error off a high fly ball loaded up the bases and Gaviglio walked the next batter, scoring a run and cutting Ashland’s lead to one. Dodds, at first base, redeemed himself moments later, catching a pop-up to end the game and seal the win. “It was hot, and most of the guys on the team have football practice in the morning,” Dodds said. “But we made errors. I’m not making excuses. We are the cardiac kids.” Eleven of the players on the Pilots’ roster are on the Ashland High football team and have been practicing in full equipment three hours each morning to prepare for the upcoming Pacific Rim Bowl in Japan. That, combined with the grueling heat, were major contributors to some of the sloppy play, the Pilots argued. “We played really good the first game,” Senestraro said. “We spread the seven runs around, then Wes just got tired. We have 11 boys doing football; they are all working hard right now.” The Pilots scored nine runs off nine hits in the first game with seven men left on base and booted four defensive errors. Game 2 didn’t end so well for Ashland. It was a slow-paced game, with the Challengers taking an early lead and never letting it go. The highlight for the Pilots was a fifth-inning home run by San Nicholas that cut the Challengers’ lead to two. The dinger was San Nicholas’ fifth of the season. “It was a fastball belt high,” San Nicholas said. “As soon as I hit it I pretty much knew it was gone.” Dodds followed San Nicholas to the plate and reached first off a dropped third strike. After Dodds stole his way around the bases the game looked like it might turn around, but with the tying run at the plate, the Pilots couldn’t buy time from the rapidly darkening night. Dodds stole home, but the batter was thrown out at first base on the same play, ending Ashland’s last chance. The game was called moments later when the umpire ruled that it was too dark to continue. The Pilots scored seven earned runs off eight hits and left five men on base. They made four defensive errors. The first game of tonight’s doubleheader between Ashland and Central Point is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Amanda Bolsinger is a correspondent for the Ashland Daily Tidings. To comment on this article, contact Sports Editor Joe Zavala at 482-3456 ext. 3020 or [email protected] DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams