Walleyes give up big lead early
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald Walleyes baserunner Chayton Fisk (9) catches his breath after legging it around the third base during AA American Legion action on Monday night at Larson Playfield.
MOSES LAKE — Eastmont hit six runs in the first three innings and the Central Washington Walleyes never did get things back on track during Monday night’s 8-3 AA American Legion loss at Larson Playfield.
Chayton Fisk was 2-for-3 with a run scored. C.J. Ramirez had a double on a two-hit night for the Walleyes, who scored three runs on nine hits.
“The big thing is that we can’t spot them six runs in the first three innings. We played pretty well the rest of the game, but we couldn’t overcome the early lead,” Walleyes manager Chase Tunstall said. “We need to take the next step with our mental focus to include seven innings instead of four and a half.
“Focus is everything, so it’s pretty much flipping the switch and taking the next step.”
Kaeden Vasquez and Kamden Kyukendall both drove in a run, for the Walleyes who scored two runs in the fifth.
“It’s about staying focused on what the objective is,” Tunstall said. “We’re making little mistakes and it’s just learning from those situations so we can take it to the next level.”
Eastmont scored three runs in the second inning to take a four-run lead. Peyton Andrus and Landon Kimmerly had drove in runs during the big inning. Kimmerly went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and a run scored. Hunter Ruhl and Vinnie Cortez both doubled and also had a couple of hits apiece. Jordyn Jones drove in two runs with a triple.
With the depleted numbers on the AAA Spuds because of some roster changes, a few of the Walleyes have been making the jump back and forth to the U19 roster. That will be the case this weekend when the Spuds head to Boise, Idaho, to face some of the best baseball talent in Idaho.
“Just this last weekend, we were missing guys and trying to match up. We had a few players help out the Spuds,” Tunstall said. “It gives our guys a chance to face good competition. Our guys have been playing with each other for a little while, so it doesn’t disrupt the chemistry.
“We’ve been bringing up guys from the Sun Devils if we need a player or two.”
The Walleyes have a doubleheader against the Strikers on Tuesday night in Yakima, then travel to Wenatchee for a single game to start the July schedule on the road.
Rodney Harwood is a sports writer at the Columbia Basin Herald and can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com.