Whitman Cougars top district playoff on six straight wins

Whitman Cougars stacked a run of six wins over four days to win the Legion District A playoff in Spokane. The Cougars Tuesday nudged Chewelah 4-3 in the championship game of the tournament which began with pool play and then narrowed down the field at each of the two sites, Hart Field on the south side of Spokane and Mead on the north side.

The state A finals back at Spokane will feature 16 teams. As of Tuesday, the Cougs were booked to play an opener at Rodgers Saturday.

In the district title game over Chewelah, the Cougs scored all four of their runs in the third inning. Pitcher Jeff Marlow scattered seven hits against Chewelah.

The Cougs had just four hits in the title game, but they also booked two double plays to stifle the Chewelah offense.

Monday the Cougars dropped Ferris 11-1 in the Hart Field bracket title with a nine-hit attack. Kelan Becker rapped a bases loaded double in the bottom of the fifth inning to bump the lead margin over 10 runs and close the game down after five innings. The Cougars had nine hits.

In the first game Monday the Cougars defeated University 14-2 with Nate Akesson hitting 3-for-3 with two doubles, a single and a sacrifice fly.

Zane Wilson and Chase Hayton each had two hits.

Sunday, Whitman nipped East Valley 4-3. The game locked up at 3-3 in the fourth inning, and the Cougs scored to go-ahead run in the top of the seventh with Marlow tagging a sacrifice fly for the RBI.

Saturday, the Cougars bombed Ferris 20-1 with Grady Benton rapping two singles and a double. Chase Hayton, Payton Kallaher and Akesson each had two hits in the first game with Ferris.

Whitman started the 6-0 district run with a 10-0 shutout over a young West Kootenai team from Trail, B.C. Marlow allowed one hit in the series opener.

Dane Bednar had two hits with a two-run shot in the fifth to bump the lead to 10 and shut the game down. Kallaher and Marlow each doubled and singled in the opener.