Patriots split with North Stars after 1-4 run in Palouse Series

After finishing a 1-4 run in the Palouse Summer Series with a batfest Saturday at Colfax, the Pullman Patriots returned to league play Tuesday night at WSU’s Bailey-Brayton Field and booked a split with the Spokane Northstars.

The split left the Pats at 5-7 in league play with another two games slated against the Stars Wednesday night in Spokane.

The Patriots took the second game 8-6 after a lightning/rain delay shut down the action for over 30 minutes after the third inning. Nick Scourey pitched the first three innings, and Curt Peterson came to the mound after the storm cleared and held off the guests form the last three innings in the game which wrapped up close to 10:30 p.m.

The Patriots booked five doubles with Dusty Lyons of Asotin getting two of them.

The Patriots started with three runs in the first inning with Lyons booking two RBIs on his first double, and Webb getting the other RBI, also with a double.

The game went to a 6-6 tie in the middle of the fourth, and the Pats scored two in the bottom of the inning to get the lead which they kept for the balance. JJ Robinson doubled in the go-ahead run, and Lyons hit a grounder to score the next run.

The Stars took the opener 5-3 after the Patriots stranded two runners in the last inning. Brady Mooney and Brett Druffel cracked hits to get on base, but a double play by the Star’s defense ended it.

Robinson started for the Cougars and Curt Peterson relieved him in the seventh inning.

The Pats scored one run in the first inning to take the lead, but the Stars tied it at 1-1 in the third and moved ahead with two more rune in the top of the fourth. Alex Wolf was the big hitter for the Stars with a single and double for two RBIs. Wolf also scored twice.

Brett Druffel had two of the Pat’s hits.

Each team had seven hits in the first game.

The Patriots home team run in the 20-team Dwight Church edition of the Palouse Summer Series last weekend saw them bow to the Seattle Stars 12-9 in a Saturday game which featured 30 hits.

Nick Gundy of Clarkston and Colfax ‘10 grad Brandon Hoadley were on the mound for the Patriots.

Seattle booked 16 hits, and the Patriots totaled 14.

At one point the Seattle club led 8-1, but the Patriots came alive with six runs in the fifth inning and two more in the seventh.

Jackson Webb had three of the Pats’ hits, and Lyons and Brennan Ball each had two hits with a double.

Seattle’s 16 hit barrage was topped by homers put over the McDonald blue fence by Keenan Forch and Anthony Flatt.

In their morning game Saturday, the Pats dropped a 3-8 decision to the Washington Athletics at the Pullman High field. .

The Athletics scored three runs in the third to take a 5-2 lead. They salted it down with three more in the fifth.

The Pats scored just one more run in the last four frames. Lyons started on the mound for the Pats, and Hoadley was called out for his first of two stints of relief work in the third inning . Webb had two hits in the first game on his way to a five-hit day. Ball and Lyons doubled.

Friday at Bailey-Brayton, the Patriots booked their lone win in the series, a 12-7 edge over Baden Red from Seattle.

The Patriots booked a 3-2 lead after three innings and stretched it to 8-2 with five runs in the in the bottom of the fifth.

Baden answered with five runs in the top of the next inning, but the Pats capped with four more runs in their half of the inning.

The Patriots finished with 13 hits in the game.

Curt Peterson started for the Pats, and Cundy relieved him in the sixth inning. Baden was held to five hits.

Asotin’s Webb tripled and homered for the Patriots; Jeremy Druffel had three hits with a double; Brennan Ball and Lance Lindgren each had two hits with a double.

Last Thursday on the first day of the series, the Pats sustained a 20-13 loss to the Seattle Select team in another hit heavy game. The Selects totaled 14 hits, and the Pats had 10. Pullman used four pitchers in the opener.

Jeremy Druffel had three of the Pullman hits with a double and triple.

In their second game Thursday, the Pats were nipped 7-6 by Lakeside Industries. Mason Van Lith of St. John pitched the first six innings, and the Patriots had a 6-3 lead until LI scored four in the top of the seventh. Robinson homered for the Pats’ big hit.

RIPS Brewers of Burien defeated Taylor Baseball 14-7 in the championship game of the big event. The title round at WSU’s Bailey-Brayton field extended over 11 innings.

Taylor, top team in the Olerud division of the 20-game series, edged Lakeside Industries, top team in the Sele Division, 3-1 Sunday morning in the semi-final game at McDonald Park..

The Brewers shut out the JBA Bruins 10-0 in the other semi-final Sunday morning at Bailey-Brayton.