Medical Lake's Jayln Musser (5) dives back to first hoping to avoid a pick-off play by Colville first baseman Justin Dragovich in last Friday's 7-6 loss in an AA American Legion baseball game at Colville. Medical Lake is home for three games this week, Friday in a rematch with Colville at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday versus Rogers in a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader.
Medical Lake's AA American Legion baseball team kept on the heels of Federal League-leading Freeman this past Monday with their doubleheader sweep of East Valley.
With their 4-3 nail-biter win in nine innings in the opener and an 11-1 five-inning breeze in game two, Medical Lake improved to 5-1 and trails Freeman (5-0) by a half game.
Last Friday night Medical Lake battled both the elements and the bouncing ball, suffering a 7-6 loss at Colville (4-1).
Cory Wagner started the opener Monday going two innings. He was relieved by Jack Walker who went four innings surrendering three runs. Bryden Hale finished the final three innings.
Jayln Musser got the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth, a single up the middle for the walk-off win that scored Tommy Wilkie. Medical Lake had put runners on second and third with one out.
"It was just a solid game," ML head coach Kerry Kelly said. Medical Lake got 10 hits, but they were scattered. Walker had a pair of hits, including a triple, Brent Rosman and Wilkie each had two hits, a single and double.
In the nightcap Medical Lake nursed a 3-1 lead before erupting for eight runs in the fifth. Cole Soliday had a single, double and triple. Tristin Keith had a pair of singles in the 10-hit effort in the nightcap.
That was nice," Kelly said. "He's been swinging the bat well but he never had much luck; the ball falls right on the barrel and he line drives an out."
Jacob Steinmetz got some time on the mound in a mop-up role. "He came in and pitched a good inning and that was a lot of fun (to see)," Kelly said. Brayden Hale opened on the mound and was relieved by Kyle Thompson.
Against Colville in a game played dodging the rain, Kelly was disappointed that his team surrendered so many unearned runs.
"We gave up six unearned runs of the seven and gave up five in the bottom of the first," Kelly said. "We came back and the kids battled."
Medical Lake had a situation with runners on first and third, had a runner advancing when another batter hit into a double play. They later left the tying run on third in the top of the seventh after scoring once to close the gap.
"They battle back and that's what I'm really proud about," Kelly said. "Just like against East Valley, we were trailing in the sixth inning, get a run to tie it up and take it to extra-innings."
"The kids just work hard and they never quit," Kelly said.
Medical Lake faces Colville in a rematch Friday at 6 p.m. at Holliday Field and host Rogers in a doubleheader Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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