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Phoenix sweeps away Mazama Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Phoenix�s Landon Rhodes, left, slaps the tag on Mazama�s Trevor Marsh in Saturday�s Skyline Conference opener at Talent�s Hagler-James Park. TALENT � Travis Dunlap ended both games of Phoenix�s Skyline Conference doubleheader baseball sweep over Mazama in different ways. Dunlap�s run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh inning in the opener lifted the Pirates to a 5-4 victory over the defending Class 3A state champion at Hagler-James Park. Then in the second game, it was Dunlap�s glove that led to a game-ending double play and a 5-3 victory. "We had people step up and that was good," Phoenix coach Joe Hagler said. "In the Skyline, you have to win the close games if you want to go to the playoffs." Pitcher Landon Rhodes (2-1) picked up victories in both games of the twin bill. The senior right-hander only pitched the seventh inning of Game 1, then went the distance in the nightcap. Dunlap started the opener, but was pulled after 115 pitches through five innings. Dunlap recorded eight strikeouts and allowed six hits. Brady Rhodes and Jason Wolfer both pitched the sixth inning before Hagler called on Landon Rhodes to close out the game. "When I saw we had a chance to win Game 1, I brought him in," said Hagler. "Controlwise, he�s our best pitcher. He keeps people off-balance." Landon Rhodes struggled in the seventh by walking the leadoff hitter, then hitting the Vikings� No. 9 batter. But shortstop Craig Cooper fielded two grounders and forced runners at second to get out of the inning without Mazama scoring and the game still tied at 4. In the bottom of the seventh, Kyle Kaufman opened with a walk and Landon Rhodes singled to right. Dunlap took a 1-1 pitch from Mazama starter Lance Wagner and drove a long fly ball to left-center field that fell in for the game-winning hit. In the nightcap, Landon Rhodes struck out the side in the first, then didn�t fan another batter. But the side-armer was consistently around the plate and forced Mazama into hitting a lot of fly balls. Phoenix opened the scoring in the second when Brady Rhodes reached on an error, stole second and scored on Nathan Emerson�s single. After Mazama scored two runs in the fourth to take a one-run advantage, Phoenix tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Jake Mahon singled with one out, went to second on a balk and scored on a single by Wolfer. Mazama shortstop Ryan Broadhead made two errors in the fifth inning to fuel a Pirates three-run outburst. Eric Kessler contributed an RBI single and Mahon provided two-run double. The Vikings threatened in the seventh with runners on first and second with one out. But Dunlap fielded a grounder at third, stepped on the bag and tossed across the diamond to complete the double play. Phoenix, which struck out 28 times in five non-conference games, only fanned three times in the twin bill. Emerson led the Pirates in the doubleheader with a 4-for-6 effort. Dunlap went 3-for-3 in the first game, while Mahon, who entered with a team-leading .538 batting average, went 3-for-3 in the nightcap to complete a 3-for-5 day. "We put the ball in play today," said Hagler. "That�s why we won, because we made them make plays." FIRST GAME Mazama..............................................001 021 0 � 4 8 3 Phoenix..............................................010 120 1 � 5 8 3 L. Wagner and Quirke; Dunlap, B. Rhodes (6), Wolfer (6), L. Rhodes (7) and Pearce, Mahon (3). W � L. Rhodes (1-1). L � L. Wagner. 2B � M: Farley, Hubble. SECOND GAME Mazama..............................................000 201 0 � 3 2 4 Phoenix..............................................010 130 x � 5 8 4 Farley and Quirke; L. Rhodes and Mahon. W � L. Rhodes (2-1). L � Farley. 2B � M: G. Wagner, Blank; P: Dunlap, Mahon, Emerson. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.