The Eureka Loggers won another close game in baseball on Thursday afternoon, holding on to beat Red Bluff by a score of 3-2 to open the Shasta tournament.

Playing their first game in almost two weeks, the Loggers improved to 3-1, and have made a habit of playing close games through the early part of the season.

On Thursday, they rallied from an early one-run deficit to take a 3-1 lead with runs in the top of the fourth and fifth innings, but had to hold on late as the Spartans cut the lead to one in the bottom of the sixth.

“It was another nail-biter of a game that came down to the final out,” Eureka head coach Jackie Christensen said.

The Eureka bats were held in check for much of the game by some solid Red Bluff pitching, which gave up just four hits.

For Eureka, senior Kalebh Hill continued his impressive start to the new season with a solid outing on the mound, allowing one earned run on four hits, while walking two and striking out two.

“Kalebh Hill went five strong innings and battled out there for the win,” the head coach said.

Hill helped his own cause at the plate, with one of his team’s four hits.

Brady Munson, Drew Nylander and Jackson Giacone each also had a hit, with Hayden Bode driving in one of the team’s runs.

“Red Bluff’s pitchers did a really good job painting corners and not giving us much to hit,” Christensen said. “But we were able to capitalize on a couple of mistakes.”

The Loggers scored a pair of runs in the fifth on no hits.

Bode also pitched the final two innings for the save, his second of the year.

The Loggers continue play at the Shasta tournament on Friday, playing the host school at 9:30 a.m. and Foothill at noon.

Eureka 3, Red Bluff 2

Eureka-               000 120 0- 3 4 0

Red Bluff-           100 001 0- 2 6 2

WP– Hill, 5 IP, 3 K, 3 BB, 4 H, 1 ER

SV– Bode, 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 H, 1 ER

Hitting- Morris, 0-3, BB, R; Munson 1-3, BB; Hill 1-3; Nylander 1-3, BB; Giacone 1-2, BB; Bode 0-0, Sac, RBI, BB; Z. Anderson 0-2, BB, R

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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.