Horizon, Pepsi split

Pepsi and Horizon split their doubleheader at Legion Field Friday. The Bottlecaps won the opener, 6-2, and the Motormen rallied in the nightcap to prevail, 9-3.

In Game 1, Pepsi starting pitcher Vince Ampi went the distance to earn his first win of the summer, allowing six hits, walking two and fanning five. Pepsi outhit Horizon 10-6 and only committed one error.

“The game plan was to put the ball in play and force them to make plays,” Pepsi coach Richie Charles said.

“If we could’ve just been able to focus and make routine plays we might have given ourselves a better chance,” Horizon coach Ryan Hunter said.

Josh Davis finished 3-for-4 and Darren Nelson and Blayne Sterling both went 2-for-3.

In the nightcap, the Motormen trailed 3-1 until the top of the sixth inning, when they poured in three runs. Pepsi starting pitcher Tyler Bullock gave up four runs, walked two and struck out two in six innings to take the loss. Chris Case and Micah Audiss relieved him in the seventh, when Horizon tacked on five insurance runs. Kyle Perry earned the victory and Zach Bennett got the save.

“It was nice to salvage a split,” Hunter said. “We were lucky to be good late.”

Said Charles: “You play a great team with great county kids and they’re not going to be an easy test. Perry was coming after us, throwing strikes. He did a good job and we didn’t make any adjustments.”

Ryan Graf went 3-for-3, Tim Bellando finished 2-for-3, Tyson Dahl was 2-for-4 and Kyle Jaukkuri finished 2-for-2.

Pepsi’s game against North Eugene, which was scheduled for Saturday, was canceled.

Horizon (4-4 overall, 1-3 Area IV Northern Division) travels to South Medford to play in a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. Monday. Pepsi (4-1, 3-1) hosts Sheldon in a twin bill at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Legion Field.