BEAVERTON – Playing in a state tournament can be very nerve-wacking, especially for 9- and 10-year-old Little League players.

Don’t tell that to Pendleton’s 9-10-year-old Little League baseball squad after a four-run first inning, enabled Pendleton to gain momentum and roll to an 8-4 victory over Roseburg Friday in the opening round of the Oregon State Little League Tournament.

Pendleton will face Corvallis at 4 p.m. today in the pool-play tournament and looks to keep its winning ways alive to earn a trip to the championship round Monday and Tuesday.

Pendleton returned to play after a two-week break after winning the district championship, but showed little signs of rust with strong defense to back up starting pitcher Tyler Hamilton.

“This is a good way to start,” Pendleton manager Doug Hamilton said. “I think it was really big to go out and get those four runs in the first inning.

“I was concerned about not having played for two weeks, but we put the ball in play and made things happen.”

Tyler Hamilton struck out two of the first three batters he faced, but found trouble in the second inning despite tossing a complete game with seven strikeouts.

“Tyler threw strikes and our defense was great,” coach Hamilton said. “We made some plays that 9-and 10-year-olds don’t make, but we made them.”

Pendleton jumped on the scoreboard in the first inning with one-out consecutive singles from Tyler Hamilton, Wyatt Whitten and Kolby Haliewicz that scored Hamilton. Tim Stewart followed with a walk to load the bases and Daniel Lebsock drew a walk that scored Whitten.

Haliewicz and Stewart would later score on passed balls for a 4-0 lead.

Roseburg, the District 8 champion, scored two runs on a one-out, bases-loaded single by Brandon Wyscaver. Roseburg again loaded the bases with back-to-back singles, but Tanner Livesay’s diving stab at second base led to a double play to limit Roseburg’s damage.

“Tanner’s play was very big for us because had we given up four runs it would of nullified what we did in the first inning,” coach Hamilton said.

“If we keep the ball in the infield it’s a big deal and these guys like to get dirty.”

Pendleton’s Cammeron Rinehart was issued a walk to lead off the second inning and later scored after consecutive wild pitches. Tyler Hamilton followed by reaching on an error and scored after Stewart reached safely on another Roseburg error to give Pendleton a 6-2 lead after two innings.

Tyler Hamilton started a double play to end Roseburg’s third inning and swung all the momentum back into Pendleton’s favor. A sacrifice fly from Whitten in the bottom of the third scored Aaron Henshaw, who reached on a single, and Haliewicz smacked an RBI single, extending Pendleton’s lead to 8-2.

“We talked about hitting all the way through the lineup and we’ll take whatever hits we can get,” coach Hamilton said.

Tyler Hamilton struck out two batters in each of the fourth and fifth innings and surrendered a Roseburg run in the fifth and sixth innings.

“Tyler was throwing with a cut on his finger, but did a good job,” coach Hamilton said.

Haliewicz finished 2 for 4 with two RBI and Whitten and Lebsock were each 1 for 1 with an RBI.

Sports reporter Joe McHaney can be reached at 1-800-522-0255 (ext. 1-236) or by e-mail at jmchaney@eastoregonian.com.