American Legion Spokane Cannons end seasons with strong finish

The Spokane American Legion Cannons Senior ended their season with a tough loss in the first game of loser-out league playoffs at home against the Bandits at Shadle Park Thursday, July 18.

In a back-and-forth game that was tied going into a no-hit sixth inning, the Bandits brought in two runners in the top of the seventh, which the Cannons couldn't answer despite out hitting the bandits six to five in the game.

The Cannons drew first blood, holding the Bandits scoreless in the top of the first, then bringing in two runners - one on a Bandit error - at the bottom of the inning.

After a no-run second the Bandits got on the board with four runs - two by RBI - in the top of the third for a 4-2 lead. The Cannons answered with one run in the bottom of the inning for a one-run game going into the fourth.

The Cannon defense held the Bandits scoreless before bringing in the tying run at the bottom of the inning. Both teams scored an additional run in the fifth to keep the game tied in the going into a scoreless sixth.

Then the Bandits brought in two runs at the top of the seventh for a 7-5 score.

With the season on the line, the Cannons were held scoreless in the bottom of the inning for the loss and the end of their season.

"Walks were the difference - we walked nine Bandit batters," head coach Austin Sharp said. "That was our Achilles heel in the game."

Cannon Nick Swenson started on the mound, going five innings, allowing four hits and five runs while striking out six and walking five batters.

Brent Keith relieved in the sixth and walked two before being relived by Robert Hatton, who gave up a hit and walk that scored.

Offensively, Julian Chabot scored three runs in two at-bats.

Mason Hammond had a double and an RBI in four plate appearances. Sam Gollehon had a single, scoring once on four at-bats. Swenson had a double, an RBI, and contributed with one run. Keith had a single and one run.

"We did ok at the plate," Sharp said. "We were right in it to the end."

Cheney sophomore Van Vega hit .262 for the season with a .326 on-base percentage. Defensively he had a whopping .962 fielding percentage.

Keith, an up and coming Medical Lake sophomore, hit .244, with two doubles, one homer and seven RBIs.

Kyle Peabody, a Cheney junior, had 16 hits, 15 RBIs, three doubles, a triple and one home run.

Hammond, a Medical Lake junior, hit .351 with a .486 on-base average, 12 RBIs, three doubles, two triples, with 10 runs and six stolen bases. (Hammond was also a prime target for pitchers, getting hit by a team-leading 11 pitches during the season.)

Cheney senior Chabot led the team with 23 runs, hitting .424 with a .548 on-base percentage. Chabot hit six doubles and had five stolen bases. Pitching, he threw 21 innings and 33 strikeouts, allowing only four walks for a 2.667 ERA.

Rory Schuller, another Cheney senior, hit .244 with a .311 on-base percentage and had seven RBIs.

Blackhawk senior Nick Berman had a .400 on-base percentage, a double and triple and seven RBIs. He pitched 7.1 innings, allowing only a single walk, had one save, 12 strikeouts and allowed only 12 walks.

Gollehon, a 2019 Medical Lake graduate, hit .306 with a .419 on-base percentage, hitting four doubles, five RBIs and scored 11 times and stole 11 bases. Defensively, Gollehon had a .961 fielding percentage. (He went the entire season with only one error - in the final game.)

Cardinal senior Trevor Hurt-Moran had a .319 on-base percentage, hitting a triple and three RBIs and made the plate four times with two stolen bases.

2018 Cheney graduate Jacob Lauber had a .366 on-base percentage with four doubles, six RBIs, six runs and three stolen bases. Lauber pitched 28.2 innings with two wins and 31 strikeouts for a 4.395 ERA.

"We only had a handful of kids that had any AAA or club ball experience," Sharp said of the season. "It was good that we got those kids out there and competed."

Sharp felt the higher-level AAA experience would be a huge benefit to local high school teams in the 2020 baseball season for the players returning next year.

"It's a really good thing to play at this level," Sharp said. "They get to see the top pitching and see the game at a little faster speed than normal so that when we get into (high school) league play - the teams that advance to state in high school - they're a little more prepared for that."

The Cannons went 9-24-2 in American Legion play for the season.

Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].