HRV baseball opens season with loss at home; first time since 2014 season

It’s rare when baseball teams can play early March home games due to weather, but on Monday, there was not a cloud to be seen in the sky.

Barlow finished the 2017 season with a 6-20 overall record, while HRV advanced to the OSAA State Playoffs after finishing 19-8 on the season.

The Eagles were contributors last season to one of Barlow’s 20 losses — they matched up in the first game of the season with HRV winning by a final score of 8-1.

But opening day this year wouldn’t get off to the same start for HRV.

The Eagles dropped its opening day home matchup by a final score of 4-1, the first loss to open a season for HRV since 2014.

It’s too early to tell what this season entails for HRV with its young lineup — only four of the 16 roster spots are seniors — but what was evident in Monday’s loss was a lack of experience.

Head coach Erich Harjo gave the nod to senior Connor Coerper to start the season on the mound.

And despite a slow start, Coerper wouldn’t disappoint.

In the top of the first, Coerper retired the first batter he saw, but the next two were able to get on base and Coerper was in trouble early, with one out and baserunners on first and second.

With the fourth batter up for Barlow, ideally the most dangerous hitter in a lineup, Coerper was able to get him to keep the ball in the infield, and the Eagles defense made a double-play to get out of the top of the first inning.

The bottom of the first flew by the Eagles as HRV was unable to find any early success swinging the bats.

After a scare in the top of the first for the Eagles defense, Barlow’s offense would put the pressure right back on HRV.

Barlow in the second was able to advance a player into scoring position.

With one out on the scoreboard, Barlow’s head coach gave the signal for the player on second to steal third before the Coerper pitch.

Eagles catcher Ryan Gray and third baseman Caden Leiblein picked up on the player attempting to steal third, but a high throw by Gray to third went just above Leiblein’s glove, and the ball sailed into left field.

In recognition of the defensive error by the Eagles, Barlow’s head coach sent his player to home, who scored without any contest at the plate, giving Barlow a 1-0 lead.

With the Eagles offense struggling in the first few innings of this game, Coerper would give HRV’s offense some time to find their bats, striking out seven Barlow batters in a row after the Bruins score in the second.

After getting out of the fifth inning with no harm, it was time for the Eagles offense to get things going as this game was quickly coming to an end.

Harrison Howell, a freshman on HRV, was the first batter for HRV in the fifth and opened the inning with what looked like a routine out, but an error by the Barlow infield allowed Howell to beat out the throw to first.

With zero outs, Harjo needed to get Howell in scoring position, so he called for a bunt to advance the runner to second and most likely just take the out at first.

However, it was a failed bunt attempt, but Howell would still make his way to second.

The Bruins catcher was unable to read the play and went to first base instead of second, and Howell made it safely.

With one out and Howell on second, senior left fielder JJ Mears was up to the plate.

Mears, who was in attack mode with a man in scoring position, popped up a ball to right field that found a small gap near the foul line that neither the right fielder, second or first baseman was able to track down and the ball would fall in play.

Howell made his way from second to home to tie this game up at 1-1.

After picking up the Eagles’ first RBI of the season, Mears, at the next at bat, would steal second base and with one out, the Eagles had another player in scoring position.

However, HRV was unable to capitalize, and would go into the sixth tied 1-1.

In the sixth, Harjo brought in sophomore Greyson Losee to relieve Coerper on the mound.

Losee, who is a sophomore, is a player with a lot of potential talent as he clocks in a fastball in the upper 80s — as a 16-year-old.

But on Monday, he showed that he is still a young player continuing to develop.

In the top of the sixth, Losee’s first three batters reached base, and just like that, the bases were loaded with zero outs.

In a tough position, Losee was able to get a big strikeout against the fourth batter he faced.

That one out with the bases loaded gave Losee hope that a double play opportunity could be made by the infield to get him out of this jam.

But instead, the bases would clear in favor of Barlow.

Barlow hit a deep shot to left field, near the warning track, that Mears was unable to chase down, and it brought in all three Barlow baserunners home.

Barlow went up 4-1.

In the bottom of the sixth Leiblein, the first batter of the inning for HRV, was able to advance to first base off a Barlow error.

The Eagles would get Leiblein around to third base, but would leave him stranded there to end the sixth.

Barlow’s bats in the seventh did no damage, but neither did the Eagles’ and Barlow would come into Hood River and leave with a 4-1 victory to put the Eagles at 0-1 for the first time since the 2014 season.

Despite the tough loss on opening day for the Eagles, Harjo knows that there’s still 22 more regular season games left and that this team “will get there when it matters most.”

The Eagles played at home on Thursday and won by a final score of 7-3 versus Gresham. The boys would be back in action the following day, Friday, March 16 at home versus Wilsonville (results unavailable at press time).