Kelowna stops Moses Lake

KELOWNA, British Columbia — Moses Lake’s DC Legg led off Saturday’s game against Kelowna with his second home run of the season, but it wouldn’t be enough to ship the Pirates past the Falcons.

Kelowna rallied for five runs in the first three innings and held on late to stop the Pirates 5-4 to take the second game of a three-game series in Kelowna, British Columbia.

The Falcons flew away with a 5-1 victory in the series opener and the Pirates sank to a league-worst 4-27 heading into Sunday’s series finale.

Legg gave his Pirates teammates the early 1-0 lead when he drove an offering from Kelowna starting pitcher Bryn Card over the wall at Kelowna’s Elks Stadium.

Moses Lake was unable to add to Legg’s home run in the first and Card settled down to retire the next three Pirates batters in order.

After Card surrendered a run in the top of the first, the Falcons offense went to work in the bottom of the inning.

Moses Lake starting pitcher Mike Herrmann hit Kelowna center fielder Dwight Tanaka with a pitch to lead off the contest. Tanaka advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from left fielder Reese Wade and moved to third on a wild pitch.

Tanaka came around to score Kelowna’s first run of the contest following an RBI single from designated hitter Jeremy Mayo to tie the game 1-1. The Falcons took their first lead of the contest one batter later when catcher Eddie Hsieh grounded out to Moses Lake first baseman Seth Anderson for a 2-1 Kelowna lead.

Card kept the Pirates off of the scoreboard in the second before Legg provided another offensive spark for Moses Lake in the top of the third.

After left fielder Peter Kelly grounded out to start the inning, Legg tripled for the Pirates with one out. Center fielder Richie Allen followed Legg’s triple with a single and the Pirates pulled even with the Falcons at 2-2.

Moses Lake designated hitter Zane Bator singled for the Pirates before shortstop Chris Casazza struck out for the second out of the inning. Third baseman Nick Fuoco walked to load the bases for the Pirates, but catcher Brent Trask flied out to left field to end the threat in the third.

While Moses Lake pulled even in their third at-bat, Kelowna reclaimed the led in theirs.

Kelowna capitalized on three hits in the third inning to score three runs and the Falcons took their second and final lead of the contest at 5-2.

Moses Lake mounted a threat in the top of the fifth when Legg recorded his third hit of the contest when he singled to start the inning. Legg moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Allen.

After Bator popped out to short, Casazza reached base for the first time in the contest when he walked. The Pirates loaded the bases with two outs when Fuoco reached on an error from Kelowna third baseman Louie Templeton.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Trask struck out swinging to end the top of the fifth for the Pirates.

The Pirates continued to threaten the Falcons in the sixth when Anderson moved into scoring position after he was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a ground out from Peter Kelly.

Legg stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, a double shy of the cycle. With two outs and a runner on second, Legg drove a pitch from Card into center field. Tanaka chased it down to record the final out of the inning.

Moses Lake pulled within 5-3 of Kelowna in the seventh when Allen doubled to lead off the inning. Allen came around to score on an error by Hsieh.

The Pirates added another run in the eighth when right fielder Jye Lanphere singled to lead off the inning. Anderson followed Lanphere with a walk and Moses Lake loaded the bases with no outs when Kelly walked.

In what would be his final at bat of the contest, Legg struck out swinging with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth. Legg fell a double short of hitting for the cycle Saturday night.

Allen followed Legg with a single to drive in Lanphere, but Bator grounded into a double play to end the inning for the Pirates.

Although Moses Lake pulled within a run of Kelowna in the top of the eighth, the Pirates wouldn’t get any closer than 5-4.

Kelowna’s Kirk Lind would strike out Casazza, Fuoco, and Trask to end the game and record his first save of the season.

Results from Sunday night’s series finale were unavailable.