FIFTH INNING OUTBURST LEADS WOLVES TO WIN
By Marc Atwood
marcatwood@aol.com

(3/30/07 Chico, CA) The Shasta varsity baseball team scored seven runs in the fifth inning on its way to a 9-2 win over Chico Friday at Skip McDonald Field.

The Panthers lost their first chance to score in the bottom of the first inning when Corey Koehler hit a single, but Andy Quiring was tagged out at home plate and Cody Stallions was left stranded. The Wolves got the first run of the game in the top of the third inning when Tony Hendry hit a single that brought in Chase Detwiler. Chico tied the contest in the bottom of the third when Stallions' single allowed Jacob Sloan to come home.

Shasta took the lead back in the fifth when Stephen Somers hit a single that drove in Detwiler. Two more runs came in when Aaron Westlake hit a single that drove in Morgan Stanton and Somers. A double by Derek Ward allowed Hendry to cross home plate. Westlake and Ward scored on a single by Chase Gilreath. The Wolves finished off their big inning when a sacrifice bunt by Detwiler brought Gilreath home.

The Panthers failed on another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth inning when a groundout by Stallions left Austin Prott and Sloan stranded. Shasta extended its lead in the top of the sixth inning when Gilreath's single allowed Westlake to come home. In the bottom of the sixth, Chico was unable to score as Robin Medearis struck out, leaving Weston Skillicorn stranded at third base. The Panthers finally added another run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Quiring hit a double that brought Prott home.

Gilreath went 4-for-4 for Shasta with all of his hits coming on singles. He also had three RBIs and scored once. Hendry was 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, a walk, an RBI, and scored once. Sloan went 2-for-4 for Chico with a pair of singles and scored once. Quiring was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.

Somers pitched six innings for the Wolves, allowing one run, seven hits, striking out three, and walking one. Stanton pitched the seventh inning and he allowed one run and one hit. Gene Griffin pitched four plus innings for the Panthers, allowing six runs, seven hits, striking out one, and walking four. Eric Loustale pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits. Brian Alpert pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run, two hits, striking out two, and walking one.