Mariners knock off Eureka, 15-6, in home opener

POLSON — The Mission Valley Mariners played a double header against Eureka and the Bitterroot Bucs last Saturday. Mission jumped out early against Eureka and finished them off 15-6, but let the Bucs get the best of them, losing 9-6.

Mariners started things off against Eureka when Chris Kukus smacked the ball and scored Terry Lundeen to tie the game at 1-1.

Mission's catcher Will Gordon connected with third basemen Robert Wallace to stop a would-be Eureka base stealer trying to advance to third to end the top of the second.

Gordon scored all three on base during the hot second inning. Gordon's triple gave the Mariners the 7-2 edge. Then a double by Tyler Trudeau scored Gordon from third. The Mariners had a good thing going during the second. It seemed like batting practice for Mission as virtually everyone got a lick during the second. Lundeen added to his RBI count by knocking a double and scoring Tim Gauthier. Joe Locke's hit and wheels got him to second and scored Lundeen from second as Mission went on a scoring run.

By the end of the second inning the Mariners had jumped all over Eureka and held the 12-2 advantage.

Lundeen again started things off by drilling the ball to right center field for a two run homer in the third.

Mission's third baseman Wallace helped finish the fourth inning by repeating a 5-3 three times to retire the side.

Eureka was far from throwing in the towel and they scored four runs during the fifth inning to keep the game from ending from the 10 run mercy rule.

Mission was able to hold back Eureka's rally and finished them off, 15-6.

Lundeen had six homers last year, and had another multi-RBI day on Saturday.

"It was a 2-1 count, and he threw me a hanging curveball," Lundeen said of his home run.

Lundeen said he was eager to continue last year's pace.

"I led the team in a lot of categories — including strikeouts," he said with a grin.

Against the Bitterroot Bucs, the team didn't fare as well, dropping a tough one 9-6. Tim Gauthier had a shaky start in the first, giving up a lead-off homer and four runs, but settled down after that and kept his team in the game for five innings.

In the second, Gauthier got a strikeout while Robert Wallace caught a line drive at third to double up the runner on first to get the team out of the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Wallace led off with a walk and Chris Brown legged out a single to move him over to third with two outs. Gauthier then hit an RBI single to make it 4-1, and then Terry Lundeen drove Brown in to make it 4-2.

In the top of the third, a Bitterroot runner reached on an error by Joe Locke, but Locke turned the next pitch into a beautiful 6-4-3 double play to end the inning (there were several references to ESPN's "Web Gems" in the dugout).

Gauthier picked up another K in the fourth, and then a Lundeen stand-up double in the bottom of the inning made the score 4-3. Locke then scored Lundeen on a well-executed hit-and-run to tie the game, and a stand-up double by Brandon "Moose" Thompson gave the team a 5-4 lead.

Gauthier left in the top of the fifth with the bases loaded, and the lead proved short lived with two back-to-back walks, but Locke again turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Brown was thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the inning as he tried to tie it.

In the top of the sixth, Chris Kukus threw a rope from left field to get the runner out at the plate to preserve the one-run deficit, but Bitterroot scored three more runs before pitcher Tyler Trudeau got a strikeout to end the inning.

A base hit in the seventh by Trudeau scored Shane Perry, but it wasn't enough and the team fell 9-6.

Sunday the Mariners traveled to face Missoula and Brandon Thompson picked up the save as Mission defeated Missoula 7-4.

Mariners 003 200 011 - 7 11 3

Missoula 000 002 101 - 4 13 5

Joe Locke, Wallace (5), Brandon Thompson (9) and Steve Larson. Max Smith, Sean Dwyer (5), Drew Lytle (8) and Cody Burgmeier. W - Wallace. L- Smith (0-1). S - Thompson.