Cannons lose five in tournament play

The Spokane American Legion Cannons senior ball club took on Shadle Park before heading to the Yakima Tournament in non-league action in the past week, where they managed to squeak out a single win.

Cannons vs. Shadle Park

The Tuesday, June 18, league doubleheader was a double whammy for the Cannons in a seven-inning 5-4 loss, followed by a 19-2 whipping in five innings in Medical Lake.

“We weren’t able to get runners in,” head coach Austin Sharp said.

Shadle Park came out swinging in the second game, going into the top of the third with a 7-0 lead.

“We threw a lot of guys out there,” Sharp said of the four pitchers he used during the game.

But the Cannons weren’t able to bring their bats to bear before Shadle erupted with 11 more runs in the bottom of the third.

“They got on us early,” Sharp said.

The Cannons managed one hit each in the fourth and fifth, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the 17-run gap in a game that had only three total hits in 21 at-bats. Head coach Austin Sharp dug deep into the bullpen, burning through four pitchers looking to find some magic on the mound.

Cannons at Yakima Beetles

The Cannons traveled to Yakima Thursday, June 20, a little banged up and short some players, for some non-league action to go 1-4 in weekend tournament play.

They fell first to the Yakima Beetles 9-2 on Thursday evening with five hits in 19 at-bats, and leaving six runners stranded on base.

Brent Keith started his first game on the mound, pitching into the fourth inning with five strikeouts but allowing five runs, only one of them earned. Rory Schuller closed the game.

But the offense wasn’t there, according to Sharp.

“We just couldn’t make plays behind him,” he said. “But it was the best I have ever seen Brent pitch.”

In the end it was errors that killed them, Sharp said, noting the five Cannon errors and the five runs by the Beetles.

Cannons vs. Spokane Crew

On tournament day two Friday afternoon, the Cannons faced the Spokane Crew in a 4-2 loss.

“We played a really solid ball game,” Sharp said of this game. “The defense was much better.”

While the Cannon’s had two errors, “they didn’t cost us any runs,” he said.

Nick Swenson opened the game on the hill, pitching three innings, allowing two hits and two strikeouts. Schuller relieved in the top of the fourth, and allowed three runs in the same inning.

“Rory had them off balance all game,” Sharp said.

Offensively, the Cannon’s had six hits on 26 at-bats. Mason Hammond had a single RBI and a stolen base.

“We just couldn’t get guys in scoring position,” Sharps said, noting it was a ‘”much better game.”

Cannons at the Boise Gems

The Cannons faced the Boise Gems Friday evening, absorbing their sixth straight loss in a hard-fought 10-9 defeat.

“It was a well-played game,” Sharp said. “We hit the ball well.”

The Cannons came from a two run deficit to tie the game going into the seventh inning, where the defense gave up the go-ahead run and the win for Boise.

“The boys competed all the way to the end,” Sharp said.

Box scores and game highlights were unavailable by press time.

Cannons at Mercedes Bennz

The Cannons aren’t a morning team, at least a Saturday morning team as was evident when they were blanked by Seattle’s Mercedes Bennz crew 9-0 in six innings, the same team they had beat in Lewiston the previous week.

Due to a lack of players, Sharp brought up Denton Deal to pitch and Joe Oliver from AA to pitch and catch for the weekend.

“It’s a tough spot to put two freshman,” Sharp said, noting that bringing up young players into a more competitive league full of college-bound player would pay off later. “I threw them into the fire to see what they could do, and they did really well.”

Oliver, who Sharp said had only caught in “five games in his life,” managed to take out two runners trying to steal bases.

But the Bennz came out swinging, bringing in five runs in the first two innings, and then sealing the deal in the bottom of the sixth.

Swenson started the game, but was quickly relieved by Deal in the first inning after allowing two walks and an earned run. Deal allowed seven runs on six hits and five walks.

The Cannons were totally shutdown offensively, with no hitter in 19 at bats.

Cannons at Spokane Bandits

Win some, lose some, and in the last game of the tournament the Cannons decided to leave Yakima with a strong win, taking out Spokane Bandits 13-4 in five innings.

Jacob Lauber, who played for the Bandits last year, dominated on the mound, throwing in all five innings for the win. He allowed only four hits on 79 pitches, 59 of them strikes with four strikeouts.

Lauber also lead the team in offense with two runs and two RBIs in his four times at bat including a single and a double.

“The defense played much better,” Sharp said. “Everyone was banged up, but they hit the heck out of the ball.”

Sharp noted the win was a good way to end the tournament as the team looks ahead to a series of league games in the next few weeks

The Cannons have played 12 games in the last two weeks, and are 6-13-2 for the season as they face Pullman in a doubleheader at Shadle Park today.

They’ll then have the weekend off before facing the Bandits in Medical Lake in another doubleheader on Monday.

Lee Hughes can be reached at lee@cheneyfreepress.com.