The American Legion baseball season ended for North Coos with a pair of one-run losses to the host Grants Pass Diggers on Monday.

Grants Pass scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning of both games, including a five-run rally for a 16-15 victory in the opener.

North Coos finished the season 16-19 overall and 12-12 in league play.

“We had fun and I think everybody improved,” said veteran North Coos manager Bud Grant. “The Myrtle Point and Bandon High School teams are going to be much better next year.”

North Coos had several players from each school, as well as a handful from Marshfield and North Bend. Siuslaw and Coquille contributed one player each.

Grant said the team would like more players from North Bend and Marshfield, but also noted that nearly every player on the team still has at least one year in high school.

“Next year, look out,” he said.

North Coos had plenty of offense in the first game, but not enough pitching and defense, as the Diggers overcame an eight-run deficit.

The Waterfront scored in every inning, including a two-run home run by Bryce Weidman in the first; three runs in the second, sparked by a Kyle Davis double; five runs in the third, when North Coos got singles by Jimmy Mack, Weidman, Nic Canaday, Heston Altenbach and Michael Bennett and a triple by Ryan Love; single runs in the fourth through sixth innings; and two in the seventh, when Bennett singled, Elliott Aurdahl reached on an error and Love doubled.

North Coos had 15 hits, but also left 10 runners on base.

Mack had two hits and scored three times, Weidman had two hits and drove in four runs, Altenbach and Bennett each had two hits and two runs, Davis had two hits, Aurdahl scored twice, and Love had three hits, three runs and two RBIs. David Midcap and Canaday had one hit each and Jeff Veysey scored as a pinch runner.

Unfortunately for North Coos, all that offense wasn’t enough, as Grants Pass had three big innings, scoring five in the second, six in the sixth and five in the seventh. The Diggers had only one hit in the seventh inning, but benefited from four walks and a hit batter in the first five hitters of the inning. The final two runs came in on sacrifice flies.

For the game, North Coos pitchers walked 13 batters and hit four more.

Grants Pass then overcame a 5-0 deficit to win the nightcap.

North Coos got three runs in the fourth, when Canaday walked and Bennett, Altenbach and Love all had singles. In the fifth, Canaday reached on an error, Bennett singled and Altenbach hit a two-run double.

That was it for runs for North Coos. Mack had a single and double, but got stranded both times.

Grants Pass tied the game with five runs in the fifth, including a triple by Casey Miller and a two-run home run by Anthony Cantiello. In the seventh, Levi Darling doubled, Kris Reedy had a bunt single and Casey Miller hit a game-winning single for a 6-5 victory.

First Game

Grants Pass 16, North Coos 15

North Coos    235    111    2    —    15    15    2

Grants Pass    050    006    5    —    16    6    5

Heston Altenbach, Ryan Love (6), David Midcap (6), Nic Canaday (7), Kyle Davis (7) and Canaday, Altenbach (7); Ian Green, Casey Miller (3), Matt McGill (7) and Anthony Cantiello. 2B—NC: Davis, Love; GP: Kris Reedy. HR—NC: Bryce Weidman.

Second Game

Grants Pass 6, North Coos 5

North Coos    000    320    0    —    5    8    0

Grants Pass    000    050    1    —    6    11    2

Jimmy Mack, Kyle Davis (6) and Heston Altenbach; Derek Stewart and Levi Darling. 2B—NC: Mack, Altenbach; GP: Darling. 3B—GP: Casey Miller. HR—GP: Anthony Cantiello.