Crater coach Jay Campbell has a meeting on the mound during the top of the seventh inning against Ashland during Game 1 Friday at Anhorn Field.

Crater did a good job of just holding on for its moment Friday, and when it finally arrived, the Comets seized the opportunity and used that energy to spearhead an eventual sweep of Ashland in the final Midwestern League doubleheader of the season at Anhorn Field.

Without virtue of a single hit, Crater found a way to get the job done — certainly with help by the Grizzlies — and scored a 1-0 triumph in the opener.

With that win forcing a tie again for second place in the MWL standings, the Comets built off that outing and used four first-inning runs to separate in Game 2 and stave off Ashland for a 6-3 victory to exit the field in stark contrast to Tuesday, when the Grizzlies won the opening game of the series in walk-off fashion.

“It wasn’t necessarily pretty today but it was one of those days where you just had to grind it out,” said Crater head coach Jay Campbell. “The kids did a good job of just battling and staying with it and being positive throughout the day, and things ended up going our way there towards the end of the games.”

Thurston (24-3) had already clinched the MWL baseball title with an undefeated run through the league, but there was a lot left riding on Friday’s twin bill as the two Southern Oregon programs jockeyed for valuable state playoff position.

The sweep moved Crater (16-10, 12-6 MWL) to the No. 9 spot in the Class 5A playoff seedings, with Ashland (14-11, 11-7) just behind at No. 10.

“The title wasn’t attainable but the games today were for second place and that’s a big deal,” said Campbell. “It’s kind of bragging rights, if you will, but also just showing that the hard work throughout the season paid off. For this team to finish 16-10 and second in the league, that’s a great year, and we’re excited to be going to the playoffs on Tuesday.”

The door seemed pretty well closed on a first-game win Friday after Ashland sophomore Logan Trivette and Crater junior Tanner Keith waged an intense battle on the mound.

The left-handed Trivette wound up striking out 10 with three walks and no hits allowed in six innings, while Keith was downright steady from the other side by scattering four hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

“Their kid threw tremendously well,” Campbell said of Trivette, “and Tanner kept us in the game and made some big-time pitches, too, with guys in scoring position. It was definitely a pitcher’s duel. There were not a lot of hits to be had, that’s for sure.”

Keith put a jolt into his team with an inning-ending strikeout to ward off a potential scoring threat by Ashland in the top of the seventh, and the Comets carried that momentum into the bottom half of the frame.

Cameron Bruce drew a rare leadoff walk from Trivette on four straight pitches to open the bottom of the seventh and, after Caleb Cornett came on to run for Bruce, Hayden Kindreich hit a grounder right to pulled-in third baseman Jackson Rosenthal. Focused on getting the lead runner, Rosenthal shifted a throw toward covering second baseman Freeman Rountree that sailed right past him and into the outfield.

“When we had the leadoff walk, we knew we had our opportunity,” said Campbell, “and then things just kind of fell into place for us.”

Campbell never stopped waving his arms as he ushered Cornett to turn on the jets and keep going until a fateful slide home for a walk-off win to match Tuesday’s effort by Ashland.

“In that situation, I’m going to definitely push the envelope,” said the coach.

The Comets then did what they do best in the nightcap, using the bunt game, aggressive baserunning and timely hitting to create a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning that was never seriously threatened. Crater led 6–1 through four innings.

Morgan Austin went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs and Crater got RBI efforts from Bruce and Carter Fuhrman.

Keller Bloodworth, Anthony Albano and Mateo Moore each went 2-for-3 for Ashland in Game 2, with Bloodworth and Moore also driving in runs.

Softball

CRATER 6-8, ASHLAND 0-0: At Central Point, Suzy Foster and Alexis Perez each pitched shutouts and combined for 27 strikeouts to help Crater wrap up a Midwestern League title.

Foster allowed two hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts in the opener for the Comets (18-8, 16-2 MWL).

Perez went 2-for-2 with one run and two RBIs to help spark the offense against Ashland sophomore Amara Lowe, who allowed only seven hits in Game 1 and went on to allow only five hits in Game 2 for the Grizzlies (3-19, 3-15).

Perez fanned 16 in the nightcap and allowed five hits with one walk, while Grace Aldrich went 2-for-3 with one run and Foster drove in three runs.