Eagles go 3-1 in Their Home Opener

Utah State Eastern Baseball had their first home games of the 2024 season this week and had a good weekend. The Eagles faced up against the Treasure Valley Chukars. They played a four-game series and came out with three wins and improved their record to 6-7.

Game one against the Chukars started off as a pitching battle between the two teams. Wayland Crane started on the mound for the Eagles and only allowed one run through five innings. Crane had eight strikeouts facing 20 batters total and only allowing two hits. The offensive side for the Eagles was slow but then they got hot in the home opener. USUE would score one run in the third inning, four in the fourth and then would walk it off in the fifth inning, scoring six. McGwire Jephson had two hits in this game while Zak Nelson, Bodee Goins, Nate Rose, Sam Beck, Kaden Miller and Mack Bright each had a hit. The Eagles would win the first game of the double-header 11-1.

Game two of the double-header vs Treasure Valley was a close game, but the Chukars eventually pulled away and won the game. The Chukars got the first run on the board in the top of the second inning scoring one run. Then scoring three more in the fifth and eventually scoring five in the ninth. The Eagles scored two runs in the bottom of the third, one in the fifth, seventh, and eighth and two more in the ninth. Ending the game 9-7, in favor of the Chukars. Owen Teuscher started on the mound for the Eagles throwing five innings with seven strikeouts and three hits given up. Tanner Kofoed relieved him, throwing 2.1 innings with five strikeouts, not allowing hits. Preston Jacobson threw one innings with two strikeouts and two hits given up. Jarret Kenyon came in and closed this game allowing one hit. McGwire Jephson and Bodee Goins each had two hits while Hunter Gatti, Sam Beck and Mack Bright each had a hit. 

The third game of the series was a pitcher’s duel between TVCC and USUE. Sam Beck started on the mound for the Eagles throwing six innings with nine strikeouts and only allowing four hits. Nate Rhineer came in the seventh inning and closed the game out throwing the final inning with three strikeouts to win the game. Zak Nelson. Tyler Nelson, Kaden Miller and Mack Bright each had a hit in this game while Nate Rose and Kaden Miller each drew a walk. The Eagles won the game 2-0.

The last game against Treasure Valley Community College started off hot for the Eagles. Scoring two runs in the first and second innings. They scored three more in the fourth and would score two more in the fifth. The Chukars scored one run in the fourth and sixth. The game ended 9-2 as the Eagles won the four-game series. McGwire Jephson had three hits in this game. Tyler Nelson, Preston Jacobson and Bodee Goins would each have two hits in this game while Zak Nelson, Nate Rose, Kam Coburn and Mack Bright each had a hit. Landon Salvesen started on the bump throwing five innings only allowing three hits and he had eight strikeouts. Micah Del Rio would come in the sixth inning throwing three innings allowing three hits while also having six strikeouts. Konner Candalot closed this game for USUE throwing one inning with a strikeout.