Summerhawks go 2-3 in Wood Bat tourney

The Cheney Summerhawks 17U baseball team went on a rollercoaster ride where they went 2-3 in the annual Wood Bat Classic tournament last weekend.

Cheney struggled in the first day of competition, losing to Sunnyside 11-8, and Regina Athletics, 13-0. On day two, Cheney lost their first game against Lewis and Clark No. 1, 12-4, then captured their first win of the tournament against Moses Lake, 3-1. They finished the tournament with a win over North Central, 4-3, in the No. 5 seed game.

Against Sunnyside, head coach Austin Sharp said his team was performing well until the fourth inning when the infield committed several fielding errors.

"Our boys hit well but it was tough to watch defensively," Sharp said.

At the plate, Cade VanWormer was 2 for 4 with an RBI and one run scored. Phillip Murray was 1 for 4 with a double, an RBI and one run.

Next Cheney played the Regina Athletics, out of Canada. Logan Pratt (2-1), who shared pitching duties with Dylan Vercoe, started on the mound and kept Regina hitters off balance with well-placed off speed pitches. The Athletics adjusted in the second inning and went on an offensive tear that helped them win the game. Sharp said Cheney managed to get some runners on second and third base but couldn't bring them home. Regina kept Cheney to five hits. Andrew Witt was 2 for 3. Dylan Arthur, Trey Martin and Jacob Lauber, who also plays on the Cheney 15U Summerhawks team, also had hits.

"They were a really good team," Sharp said. "The guys did everything I asked of them. Regina was just that good."

The game against Lewis and Clark was similar to the one against Sunnyside with Cheney struggling on defense. Murray (2-2) and Arthur shared pitching duties.

After being down 8-0 in the fourth inning, the Summerhawks had a short burst of offense, scoring four runs.

"We just couldn't close the gap," Sharp said. "I felt like that was a game we should have won."

Before the Moses Lake game, Sharp had a pep talk with the team and challenged them to "put their best effort forward." What resulted was a strong defensive performance that included four double plays from the infield. Witt (1-0) picked up his first win on the mound, throwing a three-hitter.

Witt also had some success at the plate, going 1 for 3 with an RBI. Jack Peabody was 1 for 3 with a double, an RBI and one run.

Cheney carried that momentum into Saturday's game against North Central. Lauber (1-0) got the win on the mound and gave up only three runs.

With the score tied 3-3 in the seventh inning, Trey Martin hit a single to bring in Lauber for the winning run.

"We ended the tournament on a high note," Sharp said. "The team knew we had some tough competition and they played hard."

Overall, Cheney is 7-9 for the summer. They will be on the road this weekend as they travel to Yakima to compete in a tournament, July 9-12. Their first game is against Arlington, at 2 p.m.

Sharp hopes his team can carry the momentum from Wood Bat and keep it going when they travel to Yakima.

"This team is really coming along," he said. "They can play well when they set their minds on it. When they're clicking, they're fun to watch."

Sharp added that Cheney will likely play one or two of the same teams they encountered in the Wood Bat tournament at the upcoming tournament.

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].