<p>Devin Oil Heat's Jay Lindeman slides into third base well ahead of the throw during the second game of a doubleheader against the Pendleton Pepsi DiamondJaxx on Tuesday at Shockman Field.</p>

HERMISTON The Devin Oil Hermiston Heat kept its head above playoff water with a split Tuesday at Shockman Field.

The Heat dropped the opener to the Pendleton Pepsi DiamondJaxx, 17-13, but came back in the finale to shut out the rival club, 13-0, behind the masterful pitching of Chase Root.

In a run-rule shortened contest, Root went the distance and struck out six and issued two walks.

With the split, the Jaxx remain a game up on Devin Oil with the Hermiston team needing to sweep a double-dip from the DiamondJaxx today to advance to the district playoffs next week.

Coming into the game, Heat manager Brent Mattson said, Roots ERA as a starting pitcher was a microscopic 0.42.

Counting both starting and relief appearances, Roots ERA is still stellar at 1.19. Mattson said he knew Roots ERA will fall below 1.00, even without crunching the numbers,

Ive been coaching Junior American Legion for 11 years, and he is having the best pitching season Ive ever seen, hands down, Mattson said. Ive had some good college pitchers, some Division I even, that havent been this dominant. Hes dialed in.

Devin Oil posted four runs in the first inning, two in the second then blew the game open with five in the third.

Heat catcher Jay Lindeman went 2 for 2 with three RBIs in the nightcap and Dylan Caldwell hit a two-run double in the first inning.

In the opener, Pendleton was able to rebound from some poor fielding to get the best of the Heat. Neither team played great defense, though, Jaxx coach Gabe Rowe said.

Despite committing five errors, Pendleton was able to crank out 13 hits and score seven runs in the fifth inning.

Tanner Yaeger went 3 for 3 with a double, Donovan Pointer hit a triple and a double and T.J. Hancock had four hits in the game.

For the Heat, Michael Gossler started on the hill, then was followed by Tyler Sexton in the fourth and Landon Gammell in the fifth.

The Heat committed three errors in the field.

Devin Oils Cole Smith, returning from a fractured pelvis that has kept him out of most the Legion season, went 2 for 5 in Game 1 with a double.

Caldwell and Sexton each went 2 for 3 and both hit doubles while Kyler Mikami scored four runs.

Root scored three runs for the Heat, who were out-hit 13-7.

Pendleton continued its inconsistencies hitting the ball in the doubleheader. The offense seems to change game to game, Rowe said.

One game well go out and get 11 or 12 hits then the next time out well get one or two, he said. Im not sure what it is.

The playoffs start July 20, hosted by the districts first-place team, which is currently Moses Lake, Wash.