Moses Lake falls to Eastmont in district quarterfinals

MOSES LAKE — Cameron Duke did all he could to extend his high school career.

The senior captain doubled twice, drove in one run and scored another. However, it wasn't enough as Moses Lake surrendered an early lead to Eastmont in the Columbia Basin Big Nine district tournament quarterfinals and lost 3-2.

“We hit the ball hard early,” head coach Quintz Whitaker said. “Just a lot of balls right at guys. They were shading us defensively, I thought Carter (Stout) when he came up his at-bat was a great at-bat. He comes up and does exactly what we want — hits the ball hard — and the kid's standing there in right-center. That's either good scouting or just dumb luck in baseball. It's one way or the other.”

Stout's aforementioned at-bat came in the sixth inning. Duke hit his second double of the game and scored when a throw to first base sailed into the outfield, pulling Moses Lake within one run.

Caleb Juarez was hit by a pitch to put a runner on and Stout pinch-hit for Ezekyel Ochoa, lining out to end the inning.

It was one of the few breaks that did not go the way of the Chiefs in their loser-out contest.

In the seventh inning, a shallow fly ball hit by Cody Goodwin dropped into right field between three defenders, but Goodwin was thrown out trying to stretch his blooper into two bases. Brandon Swett flied out in the next at-bat to end the game.

Duke put Moses Lake ahead in the third inning, slicing an RBI double up the left field line.

“He's been hitting the ball hard all season and right at people,” Whitaker said. “Finally he turns on one the way that he has in practice over and over again and just smokes one out there... He's really hitting the ball well, he's made some adjustments and he's probably one of the hardest working guys that we have.

“Every day he comes out and takes extra swings and puts in that extra effort so losing a guy like him and a leader like him is tough to do, but I wish him good luck going into next year.”

Cain Valdez, another senior, got the start. Valdez and his Eastmont counterpart Hunter Brawley dueled the entirety of the game.

Valdez scattered eight hits — three singles to Eastmont first baseman Dawson Schulz — and allowed one earned run.

“It's just great to see a kid come out and compete the way that he did today,” Whitaker said. “He had a good outing against them before and same thing today.”

Valdez was matched by Brawley who also allowed one earned run on four hits.

Eastmont evened the game in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Schulz. An error by Moses Lake in the sixth inning allowed Jacob Schmitten to deliver the go-ahead runs on a double.

With only four graduating seniors, Moses Lake can return a strong contingent in 2018.

“We have a lot of parts coming back so that's good to look forward to, but right now it's just tough to think that far ahead knowing these guys just played their last game,” Whitaker said.

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