Bandits, Beetles win state tickets at Colfax tourney

Kennewick’s Bandits and the Yakima Beetles picked up the tickets to the American Legion state playoffs at the five-game series at McDonald Park Saturday and Sunday. The two teams, part of a five-team entry out of the division which includes the Tri-Cities and the Valley, topped a series which wrapped up the baseball action for the season at McDonald Park in Colfax for the year.

The 49ers, the top entry from the Spokane Legion league, sustained two losses on Saturday at Colfax to be eliminated from the state show. The 49ers, who are coached by Whitworth staffers and made up of players from towns north of Spokane, had earned a bye in the district playoffs last week at AK Jackson field.

Kennewick hammered East Side Legion out of Bellevue 17-1 in the first game Saturday at McDonald, and the Beetles dropped the 49ers 7-3 to set up Sunday morning’s game for the number-one spot out of the local regional.

The two losers, Bellevue and the 49ers, played the twilight game Saturday, and Bellevue eliminated the 49ers to take a 1-1 into the consolation final Sunday.

In the Sunday morning game, the Bandits put together the hits in the right places and took control with a three-run outbreak in the seventh inning. They took the win and the top spot with an 8-4 decision.

Jordan Higley, a graduate of Kennewick this year, allowed 11 hits but scattered them throughout the game to get the win.

The Beetles came close to rolling it over in the eighth inning when they loaded up the bases. They only scored one, and the rally ended on a pop fly.

Bandits catcher J.J. Hancock sparked the charge for the Bandits with a solo homer in the sixth inning.

The Beeltes, who had a strong finish in he summer campaign, came back Sunday afternoon with a 20-hit barrage in the last game of the Colfax regional to eliminate Eastside of Bellevue 13-7. That nailed the second ticket to the state show.

The Beetles pegged a 9-3 lead through three innings, Nathan Giles had a two-run homer, and Hunter Hanson booked four hits with a pair of doubles.

Trenton Dupre pitched the win for the Beetles’ number-two ticket. He was relieved by Eric Suave.

In their 7-3 win over the 49ers in the first round Saturday, the Beetles pitcher Michael Woodkey allowed the Spokane champs just six hits on the way to the 7-3 win. Down 0-2, the Beetles took control with a five-run charge in the bottom of the third inning. They added two more in the next frame.

Woodkey fanned nine of the Spokanites over seven innings. Landon Messmore kept the lid on for the Beetles over the last two innings.

The Beetles totaled 15 hits with Nathan Giles pairing doubles. He and Dupre each had three hits.

The Bandits and Beetles will be part of an eight-team Legion title playoff which will run five days at Carlon Park in Selah.