Sun Devils stumble during state
Derrick Pacheco/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Moses Lake starting pitcher Nick Laszlo throws a pitch during the Sun Devils' 4-3 win over Lewis and Clark Saturday evening during the American Legion Junior A state baseball tournament at Larson Playfield in Moses Lake. The Sun Devils lost to Lakeside Sunday evening 10-0 to fall into the loser's bracket.
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Sun Devils American Legion Junior A team fell into the loser’s bracket of the state tournament Sunday night following a 10-0 loss to Lakeside.
The Sun Devils, fresh off a 4-3 victory over Lewis and Clark in the tournament opener, couldn’t find an answer for Lakeside, Sun Devils head coach Quintz Whitaker said.
“I think we are definitely struggling swinging the bats,” he said. “We ended up losing 10-0 and we only got one hit.”
Lakeside jumped on the Sun Devils 2-0 in the top of the first inning and Moses Lake was unable to recover.
Although the Sun Devils fell into the loser-out portion of the tournament, Whitaker said his team is prepared to represent the Columbia Basin.
“At this point in the season our goal is to definitely go out and compete,” he said. “I would like to see us stay a little more consistent and do what we have been doing all year.”
Despite winning their tournament opener Saturday night, Whitaker said his team needs to relax when they step on the grass at Larson Playfield.
“I don’t know if the guys are too excited or have something to prove, but they need to let their abilities take over,” he said. “We need to settle down and do the things we have done all year.”
Though the Sun Devils fell to 1-1 in tournament play, Whitaker is hopeful his team will rebound. The Sun Devils held on to knock off Lewis and Clark Saturday night.
“It’s one game,” he said. “It’s not the outcome we were hoping for, but we have more games to play. Our goal is to play (in the championship) on Wednesday, but we can’t play on Wednesday if we lose on Monday.”
The Sun Devils return to the diamond this afternoon when they take on the West Kootenay Diamondbacks at Larson Playfield. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.