Bronco bats too much for Soap Lake
SOAP LAKE — As well as Lind-Ritzville swung the bats on Tuesday, Soap Lake needed a sharp defensive effort to stay in the game.
Instead, a variety of fielding, catching and throwing errors added fuel to the fire of the Bronco offense as Lind-Ritzville downed Soap Lake 20-1 in a non-league contest. The Broncos took an 8-0 lead after two innings and used an eight-run third to extinguish all hopes of a Soap Lake comeback.
"They're a good ball club," said Soap Lake coach Dan Andrews of Lind-Ritzville. "They swing the bats well.
"We didn't help ourselves out in the early innings. We made some errors that kept things going for them."
In the top of the third, leadoff man Darren Eilbes reached first when a routine popup to the mound fell between three Eagle infielders. Tyler Bruegeman then delivered a bunt single to put runners at first and second.
Nick Ashley came to the plate for Lind-Ritzville and crushed a three-run home run to left-center field that put the Broncos up 11-0. Ashley finished the day 3-5 with six RBIs.
After Ashley's bases-clearing blast, Travis Dewald doubled off the wall in left. At that point, Andrews made a pitching change, pulling starter Micah LaPlante and sending Jordan Davis to the mound.
Davis gave up five more runs before the inning was over, but the move proved to be a good one later in the game.
The new Soap Lake pitcher settled in after the third inning, allowing four runs in the final two innings of the game. LaPlante's move from the mound to shortstop provided the Eagles with a spark defensively.
In the top of the fourth, Davis struck out Ashley, then relied on LaPlante's glove to retire the side in order.
LaPlante made a leaping grab of a Bronco line drive for the second out, then made a diving stop of a grounder and completed the throw to first just in time to end the inning.
Soap Lake scored their only run of the game in the third inning. Rylei Franks led off the inning by getting on first and quickly stealing second. Franks took third on a groundout, and came home on a Collin Barnes sacrifice.
As they did in the third, the Eagles hit the ball sharply throughout the game. Those hits seemed to be, however, right into the waiting gloves of the Bronco defense.
"We're putting the ball in play, just not finding any holes," said Andrews of his team's performance at the plate.
Soap Lake moves on to the first round of the playoffs Tuesday. While the schedules have not yet been finalized, it appears the Eagles will travel to Thorp to take on the Tigers at 4 p.m.