The Babe Ruth Humboldt Cubs opened the summer season with a 15-0, 5-4 sweep of the Cherryvale Chargers Wednesday night.
After blowing the opener wide open with a pair of seven-run innings, the Cubs settled in for a dogfight in the finale as they held on for the sweep in the finale.
Humboldt pitcher Waylon Johnson picked up the win in the opener. Due to a 15-run mercy-run, officials halted the game before the fourth inning but that did not stop Johnson from racking up six strikeouts in his debut on the mound.
Humboldt first baseman Braxton Fitzmaurice put the Cubs on the scoreboard in the opening frame with an RBI single. Shortstop Tate Thomas drove in a run in the second on an RBI single, but most Humboldt’s runs came on scores via errant pitches.
Humboldt continued scoring on pitching errors until a grounder by third baseman John Waggoner, who had a team-leading three RBIs, took the Cubs’ lead to 12-0. A bases-loaded walk and an RBI single from outfielder Jaxson Gunderman gave Humboldt an insurmountable 15-0 lead.
In the finale, the Cubs escaped in a 5-4 barn burner. Pitcher Zane Sanchez and Broc Ivy each tallied a trio of strikeouts in the winning effort while spending an inning on the mound each in the two-inning contest.
After starting the opening frame in a 3-0 deficit, the Cubs clawed their way back into contention with a bases-loaded walk, followed by a second inning RBI single from outfielder Aiden Morgan. Morgan later tied the game on a wild pitch and second baseman Deegen Megenity made it a walk-off victory after reaching on another errant pitch.
