ACH Legion sweeps East Valley

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Senior Legion baseball team swept the East Valley Knights in Friday’s doubleheader in Coulee City, following up a 16-5 win with a come-from-behind 8-3 win over the visiting Knights.

The Warriors improved to 4-0 in the summer season with the win, though head coach Mike Correia said the team is still coming together on the field.

“Even though most of these kids have played together last year and this year, we’ve still got some kids from out of town,” Correia said. “... Just trying to get that chemistry meshed and gelled. Making sure guys are in the right spots, and knowing what we're doing in different situations. That takes a little bit of time, but I thought we did okay.”

The Legion built a 4-0 lead through the first two innings of the opening game with catcher Grayson Beal and right fielder Brady Roberts both driving in two runs. The bulk of the Warrior runs came in the bottom of the third, where the Warriors scored nine runs by capitalizing on being walked.

“You take advantage of walks, putting the ball in play and getting big hits when you need it,” Correia said. “When all that’s going in your direction and your way, you put up a lot of runs.”

Beal led ACH with three RBI in the win, while Kaysen Pryor collected a team-high two hits. East Valley and ACH both had seven hits in the game, though the Warriors came out with a 16-5 win.

“We didn’t really see a lot of off-speed (pitches), so I was just hitting fastballs,” Beal said. “I knew it was going to be straight, so I could just sit on that. Swing hard, and hope good things will happen.”

The Warrior offense got off to a slower start in the nightcap; ACH was held scoreless through the first three innings, while East Valley took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The first hit of the game came in the top of the third inning, a single by second baseman Hunter Flaa.

ACH’s Jase Cox tied the ballgame at two in the top of the fourth inning with a two-RBI single.

“When I go into an at-bat I just have no pressure on my shoulders,” Cox said. “Just go in, it’s another at-bat, just another game. The ball was right where I wanted it to be, and I got a hit.”

The hit seemed to spark the Warrior bats — two a-bats later, Pryor gave ACH its first lead of the game with an RBI single.

“Once I got my two-run RBI and then Kaysen (Pryor) hit me in, we just got momentum going on offense,” Cox said. 

Correia said the Warriors got more comfortable at the plate the further the game went on. Roberts, Beal and Cox all added hits across the fifth and sixth innings before East Valley’s pitcher was pulled due to pitch count.

“First time through the order he got us, second time through the order you can see us starting to make contact and putting balls in play,” Correia said. “Third time through the order we’re doing more against him. That’s what we’re going to have to do when you play a good pitcher.”

ACH went on to win the game 8-3 thanks to a late offensive surge, adding four insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning with an RBI double by center fielder Harvest Parrish, Parrish and Roberts scoring on a Knight error and shortstop Caden Correia scoring on a steal of home. Closely-contested games are a benefit, Correia said. 

“Those second games, like today, those are the games we need to play — whether it’s the high school season or now, those are the games we have to play against good pitching and get better,” Correia said. “Even if you get beat, it’s making us better.”

Pitcher Jameson Conley pitched all seven innings of Saturday’s nightcap, surrendering three hits, one earned run, two walks and striking out nine batters.

“I think we might have had a couple too many hot dogs, we had a slow start in (the second game),” Beal joked. “But Jameson (Conley) settled in and threw a great game. We did enough at the plate to get another win.”

The Warriors are playing in the American Legion Area 3 AA National division, which will send four teams to the playoffs later in the season. Correia said it’s important to stack up wins early.

“We’ve got to get every win now we can to put ourselves in one of those positions to make it into the playoffs, where hopefully we can repeat last year’s run,” Correia said. 

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

Box Scores

Game One

EVY: 0-0-0-5-0 5
ACH: 1-3-9-3-X 16

Game Two

ACH: 0-0-0-3-0-1-4 8
EVY: 2-0-0-0-1-0-0 

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline Legion third baseman Carter Pitts rounds third base in Friday’s night game against East Valley.
  

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline Legion first baseman Josh Booker catches a thrown ball for an out against East Valley on Friday.
  

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline Legion center fielder Harvest Parrish looks to throw the ball bask toward the infield during the bottom of the first inning against East Valley.