Two zap defeats close out 1-5 home run for Cougars

Tyler McNannay takes a quick look after he launched a triple for the Whitman Cougars big hit last Thursday against Asotin County. Mason Van Lith is on the warm-up pad. Asotin catcher is Grant Parsons.

Whitman Cougars Monday and Tuesday sustained two zapper defeats at the end of a long home stand to see their playoff chances fade out for the balance of the season. The two deflaters left the Cougars with a 1-5 record over the six game stand, not enough to get into the Junior Legion playoff grid at Spokane.

Asotin, which made a power stop at McDonald field last Thursday night, Cheney and Freeman are expected to get the slots for the division. U-High and Ferris are the top contenders on the other side with other teams still scrambling.

Whitman Wednesday was slated to play a makeup round against Central Valley, and the Legion Bears could be in dire need of a win to extend their season for that other number-three playoff ticket.

Tuesday night, the Cougars sustained a 1-3 loss to East Valley when the Knights torpedoed a Cougar rally with a triple play.

Whitman had the bases loaded with nobody out, but the threat evaporated when Brisyn Abdul hit a liner to short and two quick base tags with the runners moving ended it.

Tyler McNannay threw a three-hitter for the night, fanned eight and walked seven.

The Cougs scored their lone run in the first inning when McNannay, Mason Van Lith and Abdul singled to load the bases. Jamie Bledsoe rapped a sacrifice fly to score McNannay.

EV pitcher Garrett Frederick then settled into a groove and the Whits didn’t get a hit after the first inning. Their seventh inning threat started with two hit batters and walk loading up the bases.

Monday Freeman pegged a 13-10 win with the Whits again posting an erratic final inning.

Freeman took the lead with a seven-run outburst in the top of the last inning. The Whits came back to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Will Dedic and Van Lith singled; Abdul walked; Bledsoe got on base with an error and Jared Hereford was hit by a pitch.

It all went off the board when the next two Whit batters struck out and the last batter flyed out.

Flash Hodges pitched the first six innings, and Bledsoe finished.

The fade out finish came after the Whits had posted a 7-2 lead after three innings.

Saturday, Lewis & Clark pegged a convincing 15-7 win at McDonald with a 13 hit attack. The steady scoring by the Tigers was ignited by leadoff hitter Evan Braum who had five straight raps.

McNannay and Lindgren each paired singles to lead the nine Whitman hits.

Whitman hosted LC after pegging their lone win on home stand, a 10-7 win over Ferris Friday night.

Whitman took a 3-1 lead in the third inning and scored seven more runs in the bottom of the sixth to post a 10-1 lead.

Ferris came back to score six in the top of the seventh and threaten to erase the big lead. Bledsoe, who pitched the distance for the Cougars, finally stopped the Ferris charge with a strikeout. Bledsoe threw 42 pitches in the last inning.

Bledsoe and Dedic each had two singles and a double to lead the 12 hit Whitman offense. Van Lith and Lindgren each had two hits, and Brandon Heiser and Boxleitner each added a hit.

Asotin, the division champs, pegged a 10-4 win over Whitman last Thursday with an eight-hit attack. They led 6-1 after the first three innings and added another three runs in the sixth.

McNannay got the call to the mound for the Cougs with Will Dedic relieving him in the sixth inning.

Asotin had eight hits. McNannay had two hits with a triple. Sam Raynor pegged a double.

University, the first guest in the home run, pegged a 12-4 win over the Cougars last Wednesday. The game was close until the sixth inning when the U club scored six runs to take control. Abdul had two singles and Hereford a double for the top Whit hits.