Medical Lake's Tyler Munden lays down a bunt in last Saturday's Cardinal victory, 6-4 in eight innings over Freeman. The teams split a doubleheader with the Scotties prevailing 12-0 in the second game.
One step forward, one step back. That's how it was last week for the Medical Lake High School baseball team.
And while he would have really loved a sweep, Cards' head coach Kerry Kelly will gladly take the results, a 2-1 week in Northeast A League play.
Medical Lake (6-2 NEA, 11-2 overall) kept right on the heels of first place Freeman with an 11-5 win at home versus Chewelah (2-6, 6-8), April 12. The Cardinals traveled to Freeman (7-1, 11-2) in a showdown for first place in the NEA last Saturday, April 16 where the won the opening contest of a doubleheader 6-4 in eight innings. The second game was a 12-0 rout by the Scotties that ended in five innings due to the mercy rule.
"If you were to ask me if I'd be happy with a split, you'd be darn right," Kelly said. "It was a great day to go into Freeman and beat them at home."
The day began with an edge-of-the-seat victory in the opener in which Brayden Hale tripled in Cory Wagner for the winning run after Freeman pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the contest at 4-4.
Had in not been for a textbook play earlier, perhaps the game might not have reached extra frames.
In the third inning, with the Scotties' Konner Freudenthal on first, JT Neely hit a ball deep to left field that dropped for a double. Tristen Keith played the ball, threw a laser to infielder Drew Hostetter who fired to catcher Phillip Murray at the plate where he tagged Freudenthal by three or four steps.
Hale was a hero both at the plate with a three hits and an RBI, and on the mound where he scattered nine hits and struck out 10 through six innings.
"Brayden Hale, oh my gosh, that kid pitched his heart out," Kelly said. "That kid has been solid on the mound, at shortstop, at the dish."
Cole Soliday, who was 3-for-3 with a double, pitched the scoreless seventh and Wagner came in to close it out, striking out two in the bottom of the eighth. "We just played championship ball," Kelly said.
The second game was a disaster from the start when Freeman, which had a 7-0 lead after their half of the first inning, made sure it would be an early bus trip back to Medical Lake for the Cards, scoring five more in the fourth. Medical Lake was limited to just three hits. "I don't like to lose, and I certainly don't like to lose by 12 runs, (but) it's one loss," Kelly said.
Still, Medical Lake kept Freeman in their sights for a possible league title. "You ask any coach in the league, you get a split at Freeman, that's a great day," Kelly said.
Against Chewelah, the Cardinals broke out quick, leading 7-0 after two innings. Hale, had a pair of hits - a double and a triple - and drove in three runs. Wagner added a pair of hits, including a double. He also pitched six innings, allowing two hits and striking out 12. Hostetter went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Medical Lake hosts third-place Lakeside Friday, April 22, in a pair of games that start at 4 p.m. at Holliday Field. The Cardinals faced Riverside April 19.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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