Game Summary: The Beavers won their Conference Opener over the Rails of Spooner at Islander Park, winning 6-3 on gutty pitching and timely hitting.

The Rails scored two in the top of the first aided by the three and only Beaver errors of the game. Starting pitcher Tommy Zappa allowed a lead off single to C Brandon Schutt, who was sacrificed to 2B by a bunt by 3B Greg Schullo. Sam Holden reached 1B on an error by Beaver 3B Nolan Scheps, leaving runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. P Kyle Gauger grounded to 2B Ryan Behling who threw high to SS Adam Bielmeier, allowing Schutt to score and leaving runners on 1st and 2nd. 1B Ryley Holden popped to C Beau Bergstrom, who couldn't handle the tough play by the fence, and made the home team pay by lining a single into CF, scoring Holden. Zappa got out of the jam by getting CF Donnie Roberts to ground out to himself to end the threat.

The Beavers answered right back by plating two in the home half of the first. Spooner pitcher Kyle Gauger issued walks to Bielmeier and Scheps, and then Zappa lined a double into the LF gap scoring Bielmeier and pushing Scheps to third. After RF Brady Rose struck out, RF Graham Miller grounded out to 2B, driving in Scheps. Gauger struck out 1B Mitch Blaser to end the inning.

The Beavers took a 4-2 lead by scoring twice in the second inning. LF Sawyer FollansbeeDelong lead off with a walk and reached second when DH Vaughn Waite grounded to Gauger, who threw wildly to 2nd pulling the fielder off the bag. Behling laid down a sacrifice bunt. After Bielmeier struck out, Scheps came up big, lining a single in to CF scoring both runners. Zappa grounded out to 2B to end the inning.

The Beavers tacked on another two runs in the third. Rose led the inning off with a strike-out, but Miller singled up the middle. Blaser followed that up with another singled, and after Gauger balked, both runners advanced to second and third base. FollansbeeDelong struck out, but Waite picked them up by singling hard down the RF line, driving in both runners. He was thrown out a 2B trying to stretch it into a double. The Beavers managed only one hit after that (by FollansbeeDelong), but it was enough behind the pitching of Zappa and Miller, and a suddenly sound defense. Zappa got out of a jam in the fourth when he walked the first two hitters, but induced Roberts to ground into a double play when Behling tagged the runner and threw Roberts out at first. Anderson grounded out to Scheps to end that threat.

The Rails managed only one run off Miller when Holden doubled and Gauger singled him in to lead off the sixth inning. He then struck out the next three hitters in a row. Spooner went 1-2-3 in the seventh, giving Miller the save and Zappa the win.

Errors: Gauger, Scheps, Behling, Bergstrom
Double Plays: Spooner: (Anderson-Holden-Holden), Cumberland (Behling-U-Blaser)
Umpires: Jim Cunningham (plate), Rich Lindsey (bases)
71 ºF, 4mph winds S.
Time of game: 1:30
Junior Varsity: Cumberland 7, Spooner 4.