JOHN DAY – The Prospector baseball team showed backbone as they snagged two wins from Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii in a doubleheader at Malone Field last Saturday.

Grant Union head coach Brian Delaney said he’s proud of his team.

“All 12 have been crucial to the team – not just one guy,” he said.

The scores went back and forth in both games, with Grant Union rallying and winning each by 1.

The Prospectors prevailed 11-10 in Game One, and 8-7 in Game Two, taking that contest to eight innings.

Highlights from the first game included Hayden Young’s five RBIs off four hits.

“Hayden Young was on fire today,” Delaney said.

Jerry Carter also made three hits in the game.

Dillon Winters had 10 first pitch strikes from the mound and Billy Copenhaver had nine – they each struck out three batters.

Game Two saw Pilot Rock take a 5-3 lead in the first inning; then both teams went scoreless for two innings.

Grant Union chipped away at Pilot Rock’s lead, and the score was tied at 7 in the seventh inning after Hayden Young scored as Wade Reimers was up to bat.

The tie sent the game into extra innings.

Taking the mound in the eighth, Zack Deiter, Winters and Copenhaver kept the Rockets at bay.

The Prospectors sealed the win in the bottom of the inning when Young singled to second base, scoring Deiter.

Brady Burch and Young had two RBIs each, and Grant Union overall had 12 hits to the Rockets’ six.

Dieter took the mound for a little over five innings and had 13 first pitch strikes and four strikeouts.

“They’re just a bunch of gritty guys who like to play for each other – not for themselves,” Delaney said. “They don’t know how to quit. We have a lot to work on still, but if they can grind these games out and wear down pitchers, they’ll do well.”

He added, the Rockets are “a talented, quality team.”

The Pros had a 6-7 loss in Culver last Friday, the coach attributing the result mainly to first-game nerves.

Grant Union hosts the Les Schwab Icebreaker Tournament this Thursday-Saturday and will play the winner of Country Christian vs. Oakland at 11 a.m. Friday. The Prospectors also will hold heir annual fundraiser dinner and auction at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Grant Union.