Walleyes keep on flourishing
LEWISTON, Idaho — Using their typical combination of timely hitting and solid starting pitching, the Moses Lake Walleyes Junior American Legion baseball team won three of four games at last weekend's Lewiston Tournament.
The Walleyes' lone loss, a 9-7 setback to the Kennewick Dusters in Thursday's tournament opener, cost them a spot in the championship game. Moses Lake bounced back, however, winning its next two pool contests before dispatching Boise in the consolation final, 9-1.
Moses Lake's defense was the main culprit in its 9-7 loss to Kennewick. The Walleyes committed five errors behind pitchers Brock Lybbert and Dylan Signorelli, leading to five unearned runs for the Dusters.
Moses Lake led 2-1 in the third inning before a throwing error gave Kennewick two runs and the lead. The Walleyes scored twice in the fifth to tie the score at 4-4, but a fielding error in the top of the sixth helped the Dusters score three times.
Lybbert pitched well in defeat, scattering 10 hits in six innings. Lybbert walked one batter and struck out three. Signorelli pitched the final inning, striking out one.
Signorelli, Tyler Sage and Alex Moncada each finished 2 for 4 with two runs batted in for the Walleyes. Signorelli had a double.
Moses Lake recovered in its next outing, beating Moscow, Idaho, 3-2 in what Walleyes head coach Ed McNamara called a "great game." McNamara also noted that Moscow featured what he considered the best pitcher in the tournament, a left-hander who threw a good fastball and curveball.
Moscow led 2-0 until the fifth, when Moses Lake's Troy Stephens led off with a shot up the middle that hit the pitcher's leg. The pitcher stayed in, but Sage followed with a double to plate Stephens. Aaron Morice then delivered an RBI single to tie the score.
In the bottom of the seventh, Stephens' speed earned the winning run for the Walleyes. Stephens reached on a fielder's choice, then stole second and third. An errant throw from Moscow's catcher allowed Stephens to coast in with the game-winner.
Blaine Myers got the win for Moses Lake, pitching all seven innings while allowing eight hits and three walks. Myers struck out four.
Stephens was 1 for 3 with two runs scored. Sage went 2 for 4, while Morice and Drew Martin picked up the other hits for Moses Lake.
The Walleyes dominated Walla Walla in their next game, winning 8-0 in five innings. Stephens went the distance, holding Walla Walla to two hits. He struck out nine and walked one.
Moses Lake took control from the get-go, scoring four times in the first. The Walleyes totaled 11 hits, with Lybbert, Sage, Kyle Hickman and Matt Harris picking up two apiece.
The victory moved Moses Lake into the consolation finals, which featured the second-place teams from each pool. The Walleyes blasted Boise 9-1 in six innings, with Myers' two-run home run being the big blow.
Martin got the victory, throwing five innings while allowing two hits and two walks with one strikeout. Chris Jackson pitched the sixth, striking out one and giving up one hit.
Signorelli had a huge performance, going 3 for 3 with four RBIs. Lybbert was 3 for 3 with a double, with Myers finishing 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs.
Moses Lake finishes its league season this week, traveling to Kennewick on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. doubleheader with the Phantoms. On Sunday, the Walleyes host the Kennewick Dusters in 1 p.m. twinbill at Big Bend Community College.
The Walleyes are in great shape to sew up a playoff spot, heading into the week with a fourth-place league mark of 12-8. The top six teams make the playoffs, which start July 26.