Cougars book split to start Legion season

Coach Matt Johnson and the Whitman Cougars started the new summer Junior Legion season with a split at the top of the week. The Cougars pulled out a one-run win over Pullman Posse at McDonald Field Monday and then bowed 13-3 to Asotin on the road Tuesday.

Johnson returns to Colfax after finishing another year at Pacific Lutheran University where he will complete undergraduate studies at the end of the fall semester. He will be coaching the team for a second year.

The Cougar roster now includes 14 players from the Colfax, Colton, Tekoa/Oakesdale/Rosalia and St. John/Endicott teams.

Members of the squad are Jamie Bledsoe, John Mellor, Tyler McNannay and Brandon Heiser, Colfax; Bricyn Abdul, Colton; Payton Boxleitner, Tom Carothers, Will Dedic, Jared Hereford, Ryan Maley, Lance Lindgren and Flahsh Hodges, Tekoa/Oakesdale/Rosalia;

Samuel Raynor and Mason Van Lith, St. John/Enicott.

Monday at McDonald the Cougars defeated Posse 5-4 with McNannay pitching a five-hitter.

The Cougars scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning when Hereford got on base with a fielder’s choice and McNannay singled him in for the RBI.

Posse hitters added singles in the sixth and seventh innings, but they couldn’t put a run across the plate to tie it up.

Hodges had two hits against Posse and Abdul, Bledsoe, Dedic and Hereford added hits.

Tuesday night at Asotin, the hosts scored twice in each of the first two innings and then scored nine more in the third inning to put the game in the 10-run zone. Asotin finished with 14 hits.

McNannay had two hits for the Cougars, including a double in the fifth when the Cougs scored all three of their runs.

Abdul started for the Cougars, and Mason Van Lith came on in relief in the third innings but couldn’t shut down the Asotin bats.

The Cougs were slated to play at Central Valley Wednesday and then be in a tourney at Asotin over the weekend.