Sportster lead off man Walker Paz drives a double to the fence in the fifth inning to break open tight game with Drillers. Paz led the Sportsters to an opening day victory. (Photo Sam Hurst)

It is a common baseball cliché that the leadoff man sets the table and the power hitters clear the table. But on Thursday night, Sportster leadoff man Walker Paz set his own table, and then cleared it. Paz hammered three hits into the right-center gap, including two doubles, and drove in six runs against a scrappy Drillers team on opening night of the Timberline Little League season. The final score was Sportsters 12-Drillers 6.

“I was nervous at first,” Sportsters’ 12 year old veteran catcher, Conner Burgess, told IDS after the game. “We’ve got a few new players and I wasn’t sure how the team would play. But it worked out.”

Drillers Pitcher Jackson Ellis fires a strike Thursday night as baseball opened at Timberline. (Photo Sam Hurst)

The Sportsters jumped ahead in the 1st inning when Chase Fallon doubled to the rightfield fence, driving in Burgess from second. But the Drillers battled back in the 2nd and 3rd. Every time the Sportsters looked like they might pull ahead, the Drillers answered. Pitchers on both teams struggled with their control and no one could keep the offenses in check.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Jackson Ellis drove a bases loaded double over the head of the centerfielder, and the Drillers jumped ahead 4-3. But in the top of the 4th, Driller pitcher Tanner Nelson loaded the bases on walks, and Walker Paz shot a line drive over the head of the 2nd baseman that rolled to the fence, scoring all three runners with the speedy Paz, hot on the heels of Ira Murphy, sliding in safely under the tag of Driller catcher Dallas Neiger.

In the top of the 6th, Murphy worked a base on balls, Carter Stonecipher doubled him to 3rd, and Paz struck again, with a booming double to the fence on one hop, scoring two.

“It was a fastball, inside…” Paz explained. “My dad has been working with me to pull the ball, so I just turned on it.”

Conner Burgess took the mound for the Sportsters in the bottom of the 6th and struck out two, shutting down the Drillers’ last effort to battle back. “We’re going to be good, I think.” Burgess explained. “We should be one of the best teams in Timberline this summer.” “Our strength is going to be our defense.” Paz added.