Huskies sweep Prosser in doubleheader

OTHELLO — A doubleheader sweep of Prosser improved the Othello Huskies to 13-2 this season, defeating the Mustangs by scores of 9-1 and 8-3 on Saturday afternoon.

“Coming into the day we felt pretty confident (that) if we all play together and we’re all connected and we’re clicking, I think we’re pretty unstoppable,” Othello junior Jordan Montemayor said. 

The Huskies opened the day by going up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by sophomore Quade Gonzalez IV, with the sophomore pushing the lead to 2-0 after scoring during the next at-bat. Following an RBI by senior Xzyan Martinez in the bottom of the third, Montemayor delivered a three-run home run to extend the lead to 6-1.

“I was just looking for my pitch, waiting for the pitch I wanted,” Montemayor said. “Ended up getting it.”

Othello finished the first game scoring nine runs off of six hits. Montemayor led the Huskies with four RBI.

“We were attacking fastballs at the plate and putting the ball in play, putting some pressure on the defense,” Othello head coach Sonny Garza said. “That’s been one of the big things we’ve been trying to do — attack fastballs, put balls in play and go make something happen.”

Game two began with a scoreless first inning, followed by RBI by sophomores RJay Garza and Trey Tovar III to go up 2-0 in the second inning. Prosser got a run back in the top of the third inning, but Othello quickly went up 5-1 on a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez and a two-run home run by freshman Xzyvvn Martinez. 

“I was trying to see a fastball, didn’t want nothing out of the zone,” Xzyvvn Martinez said. “Got a good pitch, and got a good swing on it.”

Othello scored all eight of its runs in the second game in the second, third and fourth innings. 

“Just feeding off of the at-bats in front,” Garza said. “The first guy gets a hit, and gets on base, and we just feed off of that. Momentum keeps carrying. We string a couple hits together, they all of a sudden guys get excited and they want to get in there in hit.”

Junior Sonny Salazar III started game one on the mound, surrendering four hits and striking out six batters in the win. Xzyvvn Martinez pitched all seven innings of the nightcap, surrendering six hits and striking out five Mustangs. 

“They’ve been really good, and they’ve been throwing their pitches for strikes,” Garza said. “That’s all we ask — throw strikes and let the defense make some plays.”

Othello reached 13-2 on the year with Saturday’s wins, sitting in second place in the Central Washington Athletic Conference with two league matchups left on the schedule; at Grandview on Saturday, and at home against East Valley (Yakima) on April 27.

Othello is 7-1 in league games this season.

League-leading Selah (13-2 overall, 9-1 CWAC), who the Huskies split their doubleheader with on March 16, only has one league doubleheader remaining – at East Valley on Saturday.

Garza credited the team’s practices to their strong start to the season.

“We’re working hard in practices and making sure we’re getting some game-like situations during practice,” Garza said. “Just keeping them hungry; It’s not over, we’ve got a lot left, so we’ve got to keep grinding.”

Montemayor shared a similar sentiment.

“When we get to practice, we don’t show up thinking, ‘Oh, we’re the best team, we don’t need to do nothing,’” Montemayor said. “We come in like we’re underdogs, go into every game like we’re underdogs. We play our baseball.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

Box scores

Game One
PRO: 0-0-0-1-0-0-0 1
OTH: 2-0-5-2-0-0-X 9

Game Two
PRO: 0-0-1-2-0-0-0 3
OTH: 0-2-3-3-0-0-X 8

    Othello senior Kal-El Ozuna swings at a pitch in the top of the first inning against Prosser.
  

    Othello sophomore Trey Tovar III throws the ball back toward first base in the second game of Othello’s doubleheader against Prosser.
  

    Othello junior Jordan Montemayor, left, tags out a Prosser base runner during the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Montemayor hit a three-run home run in the first game against Prosser on Saturday.