COQUILLE — The Prospector baseball season continues.

The Pros made the long trip to Coquille for a first-round matchup with the Red Devils at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 23. They left town with a 6-2 victory to extend their season for at least another week.

The Grant Union/Prairie City squad put up three runs in the first inning and another three in the top of the seventh to take a commanding 6-0 lead headed into the bottom of the final frame. The Red Devils would try to mount a late comeback in the bottom of the seventh, however, scoring a pair of runs before the Pros ended the rally attempt to secure the 6-2 win.

Parker Neault pitched the entire game for Grant Union. Neault gave up five hits while surrendering no earned runs and striking out 10 batters. Freshman Ryland Beil had a breakout game offensively for the Pros. Beil finished 2-3 at the plate with three RBIs. Beil also drew a walk. Kobe Fell finished 4-2 at bat with a pair of runs scored and an RBI. Trever Gabbard finished with the best batting average of the day for the Pros, going 3-4 at the plate. The Pros logged 14 hits in the game and struck out only twice.

After a slow start and hovering at or near .500 for most of the season, the Prospectors appear to be playing their best baseball at the right time. The Pros have won eight of their last nine games and have pushed their season-long winning streak to five games. The Pros have outscored their opponents 87-9 during the five-game win streak.

Grant Union baseball coach RC Huerta says he feels “really good” following the state road win. “We limited our mistakes, and we played well,” he said. “I’m proud of the boys and our coaching staff.”

The tournament continues and that leaves little time to celebrate. Up next for the Pros is a date with second-ranked Kennedy on Wednesday, May 25, in Mount Angel.

Coach Huerta says the boys “understand what lies ahead” in Kennedy. “They’re a powerhouse,” Huerta said.

Despite that, Huerta has his team streaking and full of confidence. “They’re confident but not cocky,” Huerta adds. Huerta’s motto of “every game is a championship game” has gotten his team to the second round of the state playoffs and may take them further into the tournament than anybody thought possible a month ago.