Cougars finish 2-2 in state Legion A finals

Mitch LaVielle of the Cougars slides into home plate in the sixth inning to tie up the game against Eastmont July 24. The Cougars took the elimination game 4-3 to remain in the state playoff for one more game.

Whitman Cougars finished the season with a 2-2 mark in the state playoffs at Lynden last week. The Cougars, top qualifiers from the district finals the previous week in Spokane at Jackson field, were derailed by Walla Walla, a team they faced twice in the playoff grid at state.

The Cougars opened the action July 22 with a 16-4 win over host team Lynden Christian with Ryan Bicklehaupt, Mitch LaVielle and Tyler Horner pitching. Brady Lees booked three singles and three RBIs in the opener. LaVielle rapped four singles.

The opening win put the Cougars up against Walla Walla in the next round Sunday, and the SE team hammered an 11-2 win over the locals in a game which was played in Joe Martin Stadium, home field of the Bellingham Bells.

Bradyn Wells started on the mound for the Cougars, and Brady Lees came on in the fourth. Noah Beach finished the last inning. Hitters for the Cougars were Wells with a double, Beach with two singles and Oak Held with a single.

The Cougars stayed in the running Monday with a 4-3 win over Eastmont, with LaVielle pitching the whole game.

LaVielle slid into home plate in the sixth inning to tie the game, and the Cougs also scored the winning run in the sixth.

Two big defensive plays were a diving catch by Kolby Sisk of Colfax for a third out to stop Eastmont in the fifth inning and a double play to stop Eastmont's threat in the last inning.

Hitters for the Cougars were Coulter, Lees, Held, Horner and Eric Akesson with singles; LaVielle with two singles, and Wells, a single and double. Akesson, LaVielle, Beach and Wells had the RBIs.

Sunday, the Cougs faced Walla Walla again after the SE team was bumped out of the winners' bracket. Walla Walla prevailed 5-3.

Coulter pitched the whole game, struck out two and walked three. Coulter also had two singles in the last game, and Sisk rapped a single for one of the RBIs. Coulter, Horner and Beach each hit two singles, and Wells, Lees and Akesson each tagged a single.