Summerhawks 15U wrap up season in City Tournament

The Cheney Summerhawks 15U baseball team finished their season with a close 4-3 win over Northwest Premier, July 22, then went 1-2 in the 15U City Tournament. In the tournament, Cheney dropped the first game to the Hurricanes, 5-4, in extra innings, July 24. The next day they defeated the Red Storm 12-2, then lost to the Joes, 6-2.

Against the Hurricanes, Cheney took the lead early after Jonathon Owings hit an RBI double deep into left field. As the Summerhawks led 4-1 in the seventh inning, the Hurricanes scored three runs to tie the game and force it into extra innings, then brought in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.

Dylan Arthur pitched in the first seven innings and Maikie Goodloe (1-3) closed the game. Individual stats were not available as of press time.

The Summerhawks rebounded the next morning against the Red Storm. They got their bats going early, scoring five runs in the first and second innings and one in the fourth. The Summerhawks' defense kept the Red Storm's comeback attempt to just one run in the fourth inning. Julian Chabot (1-0) picked up his first win on the mound.

While Cheney's bats were alive against the Red Storm, they faded against the Joes. With the game tied 1-1 the Joes scored three runs to take the lead in the third inning. Cheney scored a run in the sixth inning. The Joes put up runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Owings (1-1) started on the mound while Goodloe relieved him in the fifth inning.

"We knew going into this game, it was going to be tough but winnable," head coach Nick Fell said. "After our win against the Red Storm earlier, our bats kind of went dead. That's how baseball is unfortunately."

Before the tournament, Cheney's had a close game against Premier. At the plate, Garrett Hagel was 2 for 4 with a double. Chabot was 2 for 3 with an RBI. Luke Martin was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Jacob Lauber (1-2) got the win on the mound.

The end of the regular season was a 180-degree turn from the beginning. Cheney lost their first five games before they shut out the Red Storm, 12-0, July 6. They went on another five-game skid before their three-game sweep over the Red Storm, 14-0 in a July 16 single game and a July 18 doubleheader 11-1, 14-0. Before the win over Northwest Premier, Cheney defeated the Joes, 9-1, July 20. The Summerhawks finished with a 6-8 record and third place in the Spokane Indians Youth Baseball League 15U standings.

Fell felt the season was successful. He noted the team's boost in confidence after they swept the Red Storm at the end of the regular season.

"Offensively and pitching we've played well, but we played eight games in nine days," Fell said. "We knew going into the tournament that arms were going to be stretched thin. After that slow start, I was proud of the team and I'm happy with how the season went."

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].