Patriots split with Bandits after taking 3rd at Walla Walla

Pullman Patriots and the Spokane Bandits split a pair of League games Tuesday at McDonald Field with each team bagging a 10-run shutdown. The split left the Bandits tied for the league lead at 15-3 with two more games against the Pats Thursday at Jackson Field in Spokane to wrap up the league campaign.

The Blue Devils are the other team on top of the league before the playoffs start Saturday in Spokane.

Tuesday at McDonald, the Bandits took 16-6 win in the opener, and the a Patriots returned the favor with a 13-3 in the nightcap.

Brandon Hoadley pitched the Pats win in the second game. He allowed seven hits, fanned one and walked zero.

The Pats had six hits with Jackson Webb booking four RBIs on triples in the first and third innings. JJ Robinson and Brett Druffel each had two run hits in the game.

The Bandits took the 16-6 win in the opener with Gerhard Muelheims rapping four hits, and Kneijht Johnson tagging three. They had 17 hits over five innings.

The Pats used four pitchers, Robinson, Webb, Nick Scourey, and Dusty Lyons.

Nick Gundy, Robinson, and Mason Van Lith each had doubles for the Patriots.

Monday’s split with the Bandits in league play followed a third-place finish in the Walla Walla Legion tourney over the weekend. The Walla Walla trip included impressive wins over the Seattle Select team in the opening round and a rare win over the Yakima Beetles, a power team from the middle of the state.

Pullman finished out the Walla Walla run with a 20-10 blaster over Toyota Baseball of Seattle Sunday. The Pats booked 14 hits in the game with Brett Druffel belting a grand slam in the fifth inning when the locals scored nine runs to take control.

Webb and Jeremy Druffel each hit 3-4 with three RBIs. Lance Lindgren and Nick Scourey each had two hits with a triple.

Matt Peterson started the placing game for Pullman, and Curt Peterson relieved him in the fourth.

Toyota pegged a 6-4 lead after two innings, but the Pats scored three in the fourth and nine more in the fifth.

Pullman went into the consolation slot after booking a split Saturday. They nipped the Spokane Northstars 5-3 , and then suffered a 1-7 loss to Pride Baseball of Bothell.

In the first game, the Pats protected their 5-3 lead by dousing a bases-loaded threat from the `stars in the bottom of the seventh.

Curt Peterson started and Nick Scourey relieved him m the sixth.

Lance Lindgren had three hits against the Northstars, Nick Gundy homered, and Webb paired doubles.

Bothell pitcher Brian McAfee held the Pats to just four hits and fanned 11 for the 7-1 win by the Pride in the second game. Gundy gave up seven hits. Four errors by the Patriots took a toll.

Saturday’s split followed the same mode, a big win followed by a blowout. The Pats booked a 9-7 win over the Yakima Beetles in the first game with Webb starting on the mound. Scourey relieved him in the seventh. Yakima out-hit the locals 10-9, but the Pats scored four runs in the fifth inning to take control. Brennan Ball and JJ Robinson each had two hits with a triple and Webb and Matt Peterson added doubles.

Hodgen Distribution of Pendleton than clubbed the Pats 12-2 in the second game Saturday. The Pats were held to three hits.

Mason Van Lith started against Hodgen, and Taylor Spence came on to pitch in the fourth.

Hodgen totaled 11 hits.

In the WW tourney opener Thursday, JJ Robinson threw a six-hitter at the Seattle Select team on the way to a 6-2 win. Robinson fanned three and walked three in getting his second win in five starts.

The Patriots had 12 hits with Robinson belting a two-run triple in the sixth.