Late-Inning Struggles Haunt Storm in Ontario Doubleheader

ONTARIO, Ore. — The Chemeketa Storm traveled to Treasure Valley on February 15, 2026, looking to bounce back from a tough opening day, but the road remained unkind. Despite gritty performances on the mound and flashes of offensive life, the Storm dropped both halves of the doubleheader to the Chukars, falling 5–1 in the opener and 9–4 in the afternoon finale.

Game 1: Pitching Duel Dissolves Late

In the 11:00 AM opener, Chemeketa found themselves in a defensive battle for much of the morning. J. Spencer started the game and provided three solid innings, allowing two runs—though neither was earned—while navigating through three walks. M. Eaton then took over in relief, putting on a clinic with four scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and keeping the Storm within striking distance.

The offense finally broke through in the top of the seventh. N. Crawford reached base and was driven home by a clutch RBI single from R. Campbell, who finished the game 2-for-3. However, the momentum was short-lived. A difficult eighth inning saw the Chukars plate three runs against A. Yost, effectively putting the game out of reach as the Storm managed only four hits as a team.

Game 2: Sheller's Big Day Not Enough

The 2:00 PM cap saw more offensive fireworks, but Chemeketa was forced to play catch-up from the start. After falling behind 3–0 by the third, the Storm clawed back with two runs of their own. K. Sheller was the centerpiece of the effort, putting together a stellar 3-for-4 performance at the plate and driving in two runs.

The Storm showed incredible discipline in the box, drawing a massive nine walks throughout the game:

• T. Sheldon reached base three times (one hit, two walks).

• L. Irish, C. Saunders, J. Vaccaro, and I. Sanchez all contributed to the base-running traffic by drawing at least one walk each.

Despite the traffic, Treasure Valley's power proved decisive. The Chukars pounded out 11 hits, including five doubles and a home run, to steadily build a lead. Chemeketa's N. Crawford added a two-RBI single in the seventh to cut the lead to 9–4, but the Storm couldn't find the big hit needed to fully erase the deficit.

Key Performers & Stats

The Storm will look to regroup and find more consistent run production as they move further into the 2026 schedule.

Photo Credit: The Athlete Studio     Instagram: @TheAthlete_Studio