Wahluke struggling with Ki-Be games approaching

by Ted Escobar<br> Royal Register Editor
| March 31, 2011 6:00 AM

MATTAWA - Coming off of four straight losses, the Wahluke High School baseball team prepares for a visit from always-tough Kiona-Benton this Saturday.

The first of two South Central A Conference East games will get under way at 11 a.m.

Ki-Be is the conference favorite. Wahluke is struggling at 2-4 (0-2 in SCAC East) after starting the season with a twin-bill sweep. Last Saturday's results were 11-2 and 11-1 league losses to Riverview.

There was some good hitting, but the defense was porous. Of the 11 runs starter Jose Jimenez allowed, only two were earned. Jimenez went the distance with four strikeouts.

"The defense committed too many errors," coach Matt Watrous said. "This week we will have to return to some basic defensive drills and concepts."

The second game was a near mirror-image of the first, with errors and mental miscues putting the Warriors behind early.

Junior Jared Sabin led the Wahluke offense with four hits in six at-bats. Jose Jimenez and Oscar Jimenez batted 3-for-6, and Oscar Jimenez drove in two runs.

"The hitting has been good enough to keep us in games, but the defense has been making too many simple errors, giving away too many outs to stay close," Watrous said.