By DAVID MORSE
For the Star

Untimely errors again proved to be the margin between victory and defeat for the Eagle River Legion baseball team, which sustained three losses in games played Friday and Saturday.

The Wolves loss was Bartlett’s benefit on Friday, providing the previously winless Bears with its first win this season, 8-6, at the Kosinski Fields.

Eagle River pitchers gave up two home runs, accounting for five of Bartlett’s eight runs.

Eagle River American Legion player John Grotelueschen drives a hard-hit grounder to the left during the team's loss to Kenai. The Wolves also lost the first game in the same-day doubleheader 17-7. Photos by DAVID MORSE

Eagle River catcher Cody Helton had one of his better games at the plate, belting two doubles. Second baseman Kyle Youngs also had a double, as the Wolves out-hit the Bears, but didn’t get the win, said head coach Gus Ortiz.

The Wolves attempted to rebound from the loss in Saturday’s games against visiting Kenai.

In the first game of the double-header played at Eagle River’s home field, Loretta French, the Wolves lost 17-7 despite out-hitting the Twins through the first six innings.

“We were up on hits again, until the last inning,” Ortiz said. “Just a bunch of untimely errors, that’s it.”

Eagle River scored first, in the bottom of the first inning, when Angelo Ortiz opened with a single, stole second, then scored on his brother Augustine’s RBI-double.

The Wolves added two runs in the third, thanks to four singles - from Augie Ortiz, Youngs, Angelo Ortiz and a two-RBI shot by Helton.

After Kenai scored five runs in the top of the fourth, on only three hits, Eagle River came back to tie in the bottom of the frame, thanks to a two-RBI-double by Jimmy Reeves, scoring Bo Stone and Angelo Ortiz.

Kenai’s then proceeded to hit a parade of runs, scoring five in the fifth, four in the sixth and three in the seventh, to go up 17-5.

Eagle River scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to finish out the first game - on scores by Kyle Youngs and Brandon Metzel.

Kenai made the most of their 12 hits in the second game, with a double and three triples, putting runs on the board quickly.

Ortiz said the Wolves fell victim to a similar pattern, carrying a 3-1 lead through five innings, on a two-hitter thrown by right hander Augie Ortiz.

Ortiz was rarely behind in the count to Kenai batters, and had some good help from his outfielders, namely Brandon Metzel, in center, and right fielder Bo Stone.

Metzel made a great catch on a shot to deep center field, robbing a Twin batter from a certain double or triple, while Stone came up with the catch on a sinking line drive up the right field line later in the same inning.

Kenai scored five runs in the sixth inning, with Eagle River coming back with four runs, to go up 7-6 going into the top of the last inning. Kenai put up another five runs for the 11-7 final.

Eagle River will be playing in the BP Alaska Wood Bat Tournament, which begins today at Mulcahy Stadium.

Reach the reporter at editor@alaskastar.com.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, July 9, 2009.