Medical Lake faced some of the Northeast A League’s best pitching one day and the best hitting on another and the results were not pretty.
The Cardinals were limited to two hits in a 7-0 loss at Riverside April 21, and allowed just seven at Suncrest April 24 in a 14-4 loss at Lakeside. Then even with nine hits in the second game, Medical Lake could not keep up with the Eagle bats in a 20-8 loss .
Medical Lake lost for the fourth consecutive time in a week that started with an 11-1 nonleague defeat to the Lakeland Hawks from Rathdrum, Idaho.
“It was a rough week but that’s what happens when you go up against the No.1 and No. 2 teams in your league,” Medical Lake head coach Tim Blakely said.
At Riverside (4-2 NEA, 9-2 overall) the Cardinals struck out 16 times at the hands of the NEA’s 2014 MVP, pitcher Keelin Hunt. “She’s a real good thrower,” Blakely said. Hunt limited Medical Lake to just one walk and two hits, those from Alex Steinmetz and Kaitlyn Pruitt.
The Cardinals (4-4, 5-6) hung with the Rams, trailing just 2-0 through the top of the sixth inning, but the home team scored five in the bottom of the inning and gave Hunt plenty of breathing room.
Lakeside started fast, taking a 3-0 lead in their first trip to the plate in Saturday’s opener and then turned to strength to finish. “They are a very, very good offensive team,” Blakely said.
“Their first five batters came out with singles,” Blakely said. “Then triple, double, base on balls, single, single, single,” and so it went as the Eagles scored nine runs in their half of the second in what would be a mercy-rule shortened five-inning contest.
“They just swing the bat real well,” Blakely said.
Glori Cheevers, Chelsea Hamby and Bradyn Wegner each had a pair of hits. Wegner and Hannah Petek each had a triple.
Lakeside’s McKensie Brittos struck out five in a complete game. Wegner came on in relief of Hamby, pitching three innings. “Our pitchers struggled a little bit,” Blakely said.
“You gotta’ give kudos to Bradyn Wegner, she came in and threw from the second inning on and threw the complete game in the second,” Blakely said. “She stood in there real well.” Hannah Petek caught for the first time in a couple of years.
In the second game Medical Lake had rallied to trail just 3-2 through the top of the third inning before Lakeside erupted for nine runs and then another eight in the fourth.
The Cardinals closed to 12-6 with four runs in the top of the fourth but a Brittos triple opened the floodgates for the Eagles’ in their eight-run inning.
Taylor Pavao, Sarah Mayer, Cheevers and Petek each had a pair of hits for Medical Lake. Petek and Claire Dormaier each had two RBIs.
“It makes it a difficult day if you’re not ready and prepared,” Blakely said.
Medical Lake was home this past Tuesday, April 28 versus Riverside and travels to Deer Park (5-3, 9-4) for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 2.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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