WP Season Ends In Adna

ADNA - The Waitsburg- Prescott baseball team split its regional tournament in Adna on Saturday, winning a battle of pitching against the Concrete Lions, 3-1, and falling to Toutle Lake Fighting Ducks, 4-2, after 10 innings of play.

Game One

WP's Zach Bartlow was again in a groove on the mound going all seven innings and spreading out five hits while striking out 10 and walking one runner.

After giving up a double in the first inning, he recovered with a strikeout and the Tiger defense stepped up for a double play. In the second inning, Brice Paxson got to first on a passed ball strikeout, Justin Zuger walked and then Kyle Dozier attempted to bunt both runners ahead, but the attempt got Paxson thrown out. Tucker Alleman was able to load the bases on an error. Chris Manzano hit a line drive to the short stop and the Lions got Dozier out on a double play.

With the game turning into a pitcher's duel, head coach Dustin Snediger chose to bunt Leroue to second to get him into scoring position and was met with success. The Lions tried to go to second to force the lead runner, but Leroue's speed on the base path had him clearly safe. The Lions weren't ready to give up so easily and when Leroue stood up and accidentally moved off the base, he was quickly tagged out.

Game Two

After Toutle Lake beat Brewster, 5- 1, they were matched up against the Tigers in the championship game.

The first inning could have been more productive for the Tigers. Manzano opened the game with a walk. Two of the three hits came in the first inning with back to back singles from Estes and Herzog bringing Manzano around for a run. After the hits, Estes and Herzog were in scoring position, but they were unable to coming after a fly out by Bartlow and two strikeouts from Riley Stevens and Paxson ended the early threat.

The Tigers' next runs was an RBI single hit by Herzog that brought Manzano in after he was walked to open the third inning. That hit was the third and final for the Tigers in the game.

The Tigers' battle for the rest of the game was on the mound and on defense from there out.

After the regulation seven innings, as Estes' pitch count crept over 100, the Tigers went to the bullpen and brought out Herzog. Herzog pitched to three batters in the eighth inning and retired them all.

Facing a new pitcher, the Tigers had a chance to win it in regulation in the seventh. Walks to Erik Rosenfield, Manzano and Estes loaded the bases for the Tigers. With two outs, Herzog at the plate and the bases loaded, Herzog hit to the center fielder who caught the ball comfortably. In the top of the tenth, the Fighting Ducks off the strength and an untimely error to open the inning, were able to bring two runs in. The Tigers were unable to answer the call in the bottom of the tenth even with the meat of the batting order up to the plate. Herzog struck out, Bartlow walked and was caught stealing second. Stevens then walked, but Paxson grounded out to end the final game of the season.

"Both games turned out to be a pitcher's game," Snedigar said. "Dalton pitched a whale of a game. That is all we could ask from him and we (as a team) just had trouble getting the bat on the ball, really in both games."

Snedigar said he was proud of his team and all they accomplished for the season.