Spuds drop four games

MOSES LAKE - The Central Washington Spuds didn't have much to celebrate over the holiday weekend as the team dropped a doubleheader to Hanford Saturday at home, and were swept by the Yakima Beetles in twin bill action on the road Wednesday. The four losses drops the Spuds to 8-12 in league action.

Flames 6, 9

Spuds 4, 2

When you are facing off with one of the better teams in the league, its essential to keep mistakes to a minimum if you expect have any chance of earning a split or possibly even taking both games of a doubleheader.

But such was not the case as the Spuds committed 12 errors in the two ball games against Hanford Saturday and lost both. The team was turned back 6-4 in the first contest, and then dropped the night cap 9-2.

Game 1

The Flames took an early 2-0 lead in Hanford's first at bat. The Spuds answered back with three runs in the bottom of the first to go up top, 3-2.

Unfortunately, it was the Spuds only lead of the game. Hanford knotted things up with a run in the top of the third.

The Flames put a run on the board in the top of the fourth, then added two in the top of the seventh to put push the score to 6-3. The Spuds got one back in the bottom of the seventh to close the gap to 6-4 and end the scoring for the game.

Jacob Price was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double, a run scored and one RBI for the Spuds. Spencer Street had two hits in two at bats.

Chase Tunstall got the start and was tagged with the loss.

Game 2

The second game of the twin bill saw the Flames and Spuds each put a run on the board in the first inning of play. Hanford regained the lead 2-1 in the top of the second, then added three in the top of the third to make it 5-1. The Spuds hung a run on the board to get within two, 5-3. But that was as close as they would get as Hanford rang up four more runs in the top of the six to run away with the game, 9-2.

Colton Kelly had two hits in two plate appearances with a runs scored and one RBI. Street was two-for-three with a double. Louie Reyes went three and a third innings on the hill, giving up five runs off four hits to record the loss. Brett Moser came on for three innings of relief, allowing four runs off four hits.

The Spuds lost both games of a doubleheader on the road to the Yakima Beetles July 3. The team lost a 6-5 thriller in Game 1, then were blown out in Game 2, 11-1.

The Spuds were back on the diamond Sunday for a twin bill at Hanford, but the results of the game were not available by time of press. Look for complete game coverage in Tuesday's edition of the Herald.