JOHN DAY – Matt Nosack learned what it takes to get his team to stay focused – a bribe.

Nosack’s team, Santiam Christian, defeated Grant Union 8-3 in extra innings during the McDonald’s Ice Breaker Baseball Tournament last Saturday. The Eagles trailed 3-0 after six complete innings, and Grant Union looked close to finishing the game off. The Prospectors had held Santiam Christian to only a single hit through six innings. With only one at bat left to keep the Eagle’s alive, Nosack offered his team steaks in exchange for a win at the start of the seventh inning. The team must have been hungry because they went on to earn three runs to tie the game in that inning.

“The kids came in and I just said ‘if you win I’ll get ePros split weekendveryone steaks’ and it worked,” Nosack said. “We’re going to have a barbecue at my house later this week.”

Grant Union and Santiam Christian held each other scoreless in the eighth inning to extend the game another inning. The Eagles took the lead on a walk with bases loaded in the ninth inning. Santiam Christian earned another four runs that inning to distance themselves from Grant Union.

Grant Union coach Doug Sharp said his team could have had a bigger lead in the seventh inning.

“Base running hurt us pretty bad,” Sharp said. “We had a couple guys on base that could have put us up enough to stay ahead. There’s so many ways you can win or lose a ball game.”

The Eagles were lucky to get the chance to tie the game. The umpires called a rain delay during the fourth inning. Teams must play at least five innings before a game will be considered official for the season. The hail and rain slowly stopped allowing the game to continue.

Grant Union used its entire supply of Diamond Dry, a drying agent used on baseball fields, to get the fields playable during the weekend. Vale even brought an additional 10 bags. The Prospectors joined coaches and spectators in helping to prepare the field after the rain delays. The teams also went through a dozen game balls each game because the balls became water logged.

Sharp said it was important to play the games despite the conditions due to the already shortened season.

“There was no way I was going to let the rain end the game after losing five from our schedule already,” Sharp said. “It’s nearly impossible to reschedule rain delays. Santiam Christian isn’t going to come to John Day from Corvallis again. We need to get every game we can in. Once the fields were safe, we played.”

The Prospectors had problems with the rain during their first game of the tournament Friday against Heppner as well. They won that game 3-2.

Grant Union came out quick in that game and scored three runs in the first inning. Cody Williams, Tyler Roberts and Keldon Martin each drove in runs in that inning. However, those would be the Prospectors only runs of the game as they were held scoreless for their next five at bats.

Williams earned his first win of the season and threw six strikeouts with two walks. He was hitless through five innings. Gage Imoos relieved him in the sixth inning. Jake Reynolds came into the game in the seventh inning and received the save.