Young Soap Lake baseball team still looking for answers
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldSoap Lake's Cameron Bessett turns on a fastball for a triple during Wednesday's Central Washington 2B game against Pateros. He finished the day with two hits and an RBI.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald Soap Lake starter Klayten Northrup delivers to the plate in the second inning of Wednesday's Central Washington 2B non-league game against Pateros.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldSoap Lake third baseman Xhemil Cassedy waits for the throw down to third duing the fourth inning of Wednesday's Central Washington 2B game against Pateros.
SOAP LAKE — Dark storm clouds loomed large on the horizon as the weather rolled in, dropping first those big fat raindrops, then settling into a steady drizzle.
For the sprinkling of Soap Lake baseball fans, Wednesday’s Central Washington 2B non-league game at Bob Nacke Field against Pateros (1-3, 1-4) was a lot like the weather. The Billygoats scored with a steady drizzle through all six innings, before the sky opened up when they hammered out a 10-run sixth inning to hand the Eagles (0-2) their second loss of the season, 20-4.
The young Soap Lake squad played well in spots. Cameron Bessett drove in a run with a triple in the third inning and Klayten Northrup drove in two runs with a triple in the fifth.
“It was hard to locate the ball (at first) and it tied me up a little bit. But he was throwing all fastballs and I finally caught up to one,” said Northrup, who started the game on the mound, then moved to first base and finished the game at shortstop. “I like to attack right the first pitch and be aggressive at the plate. As long as I get to hit, I’ll play wherever they need me.”
It was one of those days where the Eagles needed eight more of him. Northrup made a diving, sliding catch to end the inning as he chased down a foul ball up against the first baseline fence. He was fairly sound on the mound, but the Soap Lake infield struggled with routine ground balls. Bessett made the catch of the day, charging hard to make a sliding catch in the right-center field gap.
But all in all, it was one of those days first-year Eagles coach Erik Scheib would just as soon learn from and move on.
“We don’t have a lot of guys from last year, so we’re trying to build a program and have fun,” Scheib said. “Klayten is our best player and he had an all-around good day. The position players are young. They’re good at their position, but they’re still learning. They’re a bunch of underclassmen playing against juniors and seniors.
“We did some good things today.”
Bessett finished the day 2-for-3 with a triple and RBI. Northrup had just the one hit, but he drove in two runs with the triple.
Soap Lake travels to Brewster on Saturday.
Pateros 3 2 2 0 3 (10) - 20 16 2
Soap Lake 0 0 2 02 0 - 4 7 6
HITS - Cameron Bessett (2), Klayten Northrup, George Page, Landon Ribail, Reily Foster. 3B - Bessett, Northrup. RBI - Bessett, Northrup (2)
Softball
Pateros 18, Soap Lake 8
SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake let an early lead get away in its 18-8 loss to Pateros.
The Eagles led 7-1 after three innings before the Nannies charged back, scoring four runs apiece in the fourth and sixth innings and a stunning nine runs in the fifth.
Audrey Veliz had two RBI and Morgan Evenstad was responsible for three of Soap Lake’s nine hits.