Legion continues win streak

HARTLINE — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline AA Senior Legion baseball team kept the wins coming on Friday night, winning both games against Gonzaga Prep AA at the Hartline Ball Fields. 

The wins come after another doubleheader sweep Monday, where ACH Legion defeated Shadle Park.

“A couple days off, but this was the second-place team with only three losses, so I didn’t know how we’d stack up,” Head Coach Mike Correia said. “(We’re) lacking for pitching right now with some arms not feeling great, so the guys that I called on today stepped up.”

ACH won the first game 11-5, scoring those 11 runs off of five hits. Warrior batters were walked nine times in the win, with pitcher/second baseman Caden Correia leading the way with three walks.

“I’d love to say, ‘Oh, we had great eyes,’ but sometimes when guys are struggling you let them struggle, and you don’t want to help them out,” Correia said. “That’s taking a pitch and understanding the guy in front of you saw four balls, or four out of five pitches were balls. You have to go up there with the mindset of, ‘Let’s make this guy pitch to me,’ and we go from there.”

The Warriors held a 7-1 lead entering the top of the sixth inning until Gonzaga Prep scored four runs to cut the lead to 7-5. ACH Legion responded with a four-run inning of its own, with designated hitter Jameson Conley driving in a run and third baseman Jase Cox, Conley and right fielder Brady Roberts all scoring off of Bullpup errors.

“These guys have done that so far all year,” Correia said. “Teams have caught up, and we’ve extended (the lead). We’ve done a good job of that.”

The nightcap opened with a three-run top of the first by the Warriors, with pitcher Hunter Flaa and Conley both driving in runs; however, Gonzaga Prep responded with a three-run bottom of the first inning to tie things up.

“It’s big, because obviously they up three runs in the bottom of the first and they tied it up,” Correia said. “Putting a little more pressure on the other team is always a good thing, hopefully, you can keep that going, but to their credit, they jumped right back.”

ACH Legion took the lead back for good in the top of the second inning, as right fielder Josh Booker and catcher Kaysen Pryor both drove in runs. Pryor led the Warriors with four RBI in the second game on Friday.

“I was just thinking fastball, and if I saw anything different I would sit,” Pryor said. 

After taking a 9-4 lead in the top of the fifth inning, Gonzaga Prep scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Warrior lead to one. ACH Legion added some insurance in the top of the sixth with RBI from shortstop Carter Pitts and Booker. 

“It was just everyone focusing at the plate and squaring up some balls,” Pryor said. 

ACH Legion took on Ferris on Saturday, but scores were not available in time for press deadline. Correia said at least one win will lock up the top seed in the Area 3 AA National division, which sends four teams to next week’s district playoffs in Spokane.

The team improved to 14-0 with Friday’s doubleheader sweep.

“(We’re) trusting each other, working as a team,” Pryor said. “Trust in our pitchers, and then relying on each other at the plate.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.   

Box scores

Game One

GPR: 0-0-1-0-0-4-0 5
ACH: 2-0-1-2-2-4-X 11

Game Two

ACH: 3-3-0-1-2-2-1 12
GPR: 3-0-1-0-4-0-X 8

    Legion second baseman Caden Correia, in black, looks toward the catcher to catch a Gonzaga Prep AA baserunner stealing during the nightcap of Friday’s doubleheader.
  

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline Legion pitcher Hunter Flaa pitches to Gonzaga Prep AA in the bottom of the first inning of the second game of Friday’s doubleheader.
  

    Legion baserunner Karson Thompson rounds third base before scoring on an error by Gonzaga Prep AA.