Walleyes drop opening two

MOSES LAKE - As summer approaches a sport of spring plans on making its mark as the temperatures rise and the expectations with them.

Summer baseball is officially heating up and the Moses Lake Walleyes, a 17-under Junior American Legion team out of the AA division kicked off the 2011 campaign with a twinbill last night at Larson Field against the Dusters out of the Kennewick area.

The team, composed mostly of Moses Lake Chiefs, ended up losing a late lead in the opener to drop a 13-7 decision in eight innings before losing 8-0 in the nightcap.

Starting off strong on the mound and with the bats, the Walleyes (0-2) jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings, highlighted by Nick Bailey's two-run triple in the third inning.

The would hold on to a 6-2 lead going into the top of the seventh inning when the wheels came loose.

A key error helped allow the Dusters back in the game as they would use the gaffe as a catalyst for a five-run rally to take the lead, 7-6.

The Walleyes tied the game at 7-7 to send the game into extra innings where the Dusters scored six more runs in the top half of the eighth to put the game away thanks to two Moses Lake errors.

"We had a chance to turn a double play in the seventh and we missed it," Walleyes head coach Quintz Whitaker said. "We played clean the whole way through until that inning when we had one. We had two in the eighth."

Hector Zavala stated for the Walleyes and pitched well while Gunner Raymond, Jordan Hooper, and Eliott Sage all had two hits apiece to lead the offense.

In the nightcap, the Walleyes ran into a strong pitcher who kept the Moses Lake bats in check as the Dusters cruised to the win.

"If we play like we did the first six innings of game one we are going to be in good shape," Whitaker said. "We can field it with anybody and pitch with anybody but we have to be able to make throws. That was a big factor that bit us in the but tonight. You have to be able to play catch."