Rains douse Patriot rally to close 1-4 run in series

A cloudburst over McDonald Park in Colfax late Saturday put an end to a comeback by the Pullman Patriots in the big summer series last weekend. After being dropped in a 0-6 hole by the Seattle Dodgers, the Patriots scored four runs in the third inning and one more in the fourth to get within a run of closing the gap.

The Dodgers, who were booked as the home team, scored one more in the bottom of the fourth to bump the lead back to 7-5, but after that the rains stopped it.

The Patriots went into the game with a 1-3 mark over the previous three days of the big tournament, so the Saturday evening tangle with the Dodgers closed out their run in the series.

Pitcher Justin Cillay, who was roughed up early by the Dodgers, went back out on the mound in the second and third innings and shut down the Seattle offense.

The Seattle team finished up with seven hits off Cillay. Two errors by the locals also took a toll.

Big blast for the Patriots came in the top of the third when Dusty Lyons rapped a bases loaded double to get the locals in the scoreboard. Lyons also scored with a play at the plate.

Cillay finished with three hits, Jackson Webb had two and catcher Jeremy Druffel also had a double.

The Patriots rolled to Colfax Saturday after sustaining a 4-8 loss to the Boys of Summer team on the Pullman High School field. The Pats actually out-hit the summer squad, 9-8, but they had four errors.

Matt Peterson pitched the first five innings for the Patriots, and Patrick Jacobs finished it out.

Druffel and Peterson each had two his with a double and DePaul Blunt also had two hits.

Friday the Patriots booked their lone run in the series campaign, a 10-3 win over the Seattle Damage club. That matchup was at Harris Field in Lewiston.

Pullman started with five runs in the first inning with Webb rapping a two-run homer. Webb also belted a two-run double in the sixth, and Lance Lindgren had two hits for the Patriots.

Pitcher Nolan Johnson held the Damage club to six hits over seven innings.

Thursday at Bailey-Brayton, the Patriots sustained their worst loss of the campaign, a 3-7 bow to FCA. Webb and Bricyn Abdul threw a one-hitter in the game, but the foes were allowed eight walks and the Pats’ defense committed five errors.

Abdul, who relieved Webb in the second inning, actually pitched no-hit ball over the last five innings, but the walks and the errors took a toll.

The FCA team collected six runs in the second inning.

The Patriots started the series campaign at McDonald with a 4-11 loss to Taylor. The visitors rolled out 13 hits for the win, and the Patriots had their first lapse on defense with six errors.

Mason Van Lith had the start for the locals and was relieved by Patrick Jacobs in the sixth.

Patriot bats rolled out nine hits in their first stop at Colfax with catcher Jeremy Druffel and Lindgren each rapping three hits with a double and a triple. Webb also doubled and tripled for the home club. Robert McIntosh had the other hit for the Patriots.

Tuesday, the Patriots were downed by the Spokane Bandits 11-9 in a league makeup game. The Spokane team scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to break a 9-9 tie, and the Pats couldn’t bounce back in the bottom of the last inning.

Jacobs had the start for the Patriots. The game was close for the first three innings with the Pats cracking a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third. Lindgren rapped the hit for the go—ahead RBI.

The close game went off the board with the six-run charge by the Bandits in the top of the fourth. The Pats answered with three in the bottom of the fourth and tagged on two more in the next inning for the 9-9 tie after five frames. The tie remained on the board through the fifth, but the two Bandit runs in the top of the seventh decided it. Pullman had four errors in the Tuesday game.

After making up the league game at Bailey-Brayton, the Patriots departed for the wooden bat tournament in Coeur d’Alene where they were stopped by the Loggers 11-5 in the first game.

of the holiday series.