Oak Harbor tests Monroe in 2-1 loss Oak Harbor tests Monroe in 2-1 loss

The league-leading Monroe High School baseball team got all it could handle against Oak Harbor in a Friday WesCo North game.

Tied with Snohomish for the top spot in the league with a 12-2 record, the Bearcats managed just four hits in the game off Wildcats’ starting pitcher Danny Lura and eked out a 2-1 victory.

“It was a good high school baseball game today,” coach Jim Waller said. “For the last week or so we’ve been struggling at the plate, but we did a lot better today. We didn’t strike out as much and put the ball in play.”

Monroe took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a leadoff double by Gavin Rintala, the only extra-base hit Lura gave up, an infield out and a wild pitch.

The Bearcats made the score 2-0 in the top of the sixth on a one-out walk to Alex Baugh an infield error and another wild pitch.

Oak Harbor came fighting back in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Austin Humphries led off with a single, but was forced at second on Chris Reilly’s infield out.

Reilly then stole second and scored when Lura ripped a two-out single up the middle. Lura was stranded when Chris Valencia’s hot-shot ground ball was snagged by Bearcats first baseman Andy Chriscaden for the third out.

“This is the fourth game in a row where we scored just one run,” Waller said.

Monroe relief pitcher Jacob Rippert set the side down in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn the save.

Reilly and Lura were both 1-for-3 for the 4-10 Wildcats.

The league-leading Monroe High School baseball team got all it could handle against Oak Harbor in a Friday WesCo North game.

Tied with Snohomish for the top spot in the league with a 12-2 record, the Bearcats managed just four hits in the game off Wildcats’ starting pitcher Danny Lura and eked out a 2-1 victory.

“It was a good high school baseball game today,” coach Jim Waller said. “For the last week or so we’ve been struggling at the plate, but we did a lot better today. We didn’t strike out as much and put the ball in play.”

Monroe took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a leadoff double by Gavin Rintala, the only extra-base hit Lura gave up, an infield out and a wild pitch.

The Bearcats made the score 2-0 in the top of the sixth on a one-out walk to Alex Baugh an infield error and another wild pitch.

Oak Harbor came fighting back in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Austin Humphries led off with a single, but was forced at second on Chris Reilly’s infield out.

Reilly then stole second and scored when Lura ripped a two-out single up the middle. Lura was stranded when Chris Valencia’s hot-shot ground ball was snagged by Bearcats first baseman Andy Chriscaden for the third out.

“This is the fourth game in a row where we scored just one run,” Waller said.

Monroe relief pitcher Jacob Rippert set the side down in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn the save.

Reilly and Lura were both 1-for-3 for the 4-10 Wildcats.

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