ML baseball season ends with loss to Colville

One thing is certain in an up and down season for Medical Lake baseball in 2017.

The Cardinals outpaced early expectations of a last place finish in the Northeast A League by finishing with an 8-7 record following a 7-1 loss to Colville, May 9, in the opening round of district playoffs.

The team ended the season much the opposite as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, and maybe a few plays from a much higher finish.

In the present, however, came the loss in which Colville pitcher Brayden Flugle tossed a 10-strikeout, three-hitter in the loser-out game played at ML’s Holliday Field. Dylan Vercoe had two of those hits for the Cards.

“It was frustrating,” head coach Kerry Kelly said. “We had three opportunities, all home games, to secure the third spot,” but lost all of those games, in large part due to a defense that suddenly went down the drain. Medical Lake committed 21 errors in those three games.

A coin flip to break a tie between Medical Lake and Deer Park sent the Cardinals to the No. 4 spot, but still a hosting role with Colville.

“Colville absolutely got hot at the end of the season, as evident how they performed in districts,” Kelly said. The Indians won two of three playoff games to advance.

Kyle Thompson threw well his coach said, but five errors behind him was the undoing. “I think we finally ran out of gas,” he added.

Medical Lake’s senior leadership of Thompson, Philip Murray and Vercoe, “Had invested a lot, physically, mentally and emotionally,” Kelly said. But once again the Cardinals were unable to get out of the first inning without giving up the lead as Colville scored a run in their first at bat.

He’s torn between knowing the team was close, but Kelly also realizes “We had a really solid season based on expectations of our program.”

The final game is tough on everyone Kelly said.

“No matter what, on that day, someone’s crying,” Kelly said. “They’re crying because they’re happy and moving on, or they’re crying because they realize the last three or four years we had them (is over). I tell them this is going by quick savor that, and then it’s gone.”

It’s the end of the road for organized sports for most of the seniors. However two, Thompson and Murray, are likely to join former Cardinal teammates Cory Wagner and Brayden Hale playing for the Spokane Cannons AAA American Legion team.

As many as a dozen of this year’s NEA team will play Single-A Legion ball with their first game May 23 at Holliday Field versus East Valley starting at 5:30 p.m.

“I think we’ll have numbers, we’re going to be a combined squad,” Kelly said. “I think we’re going to get two kids from that Odessa team that’s in the regional playoff for state.” He added that a Lakeside High player might also be on the team.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.