Monday, Jul. 21, 2008

Legion roundup: Bandits beat Titans to clinch CWL title

By the Herald staff

The Kennewick Bandits earned their third Central Washington League regular-season championship in five years Sunday with a 1-0 and 3-2 sweep of the Twin City Titans at Southridge High School.

Andrew Mendenhall and Austin Pentecost were each 2-for-2 in the opener, but it was balk call in the bottom of the sixth that gave the Bandits the win.

The game was also marked by an outstanding pitching matchup between Twin City's Cody Shepherd and Kennewick's Jacob Nelson, who both battled to the end.

Nelson tossed a one-hit shutout with just two walks, while Shepherd recorded nine strikeouts and scattered five hits.

Trux French scored the winning run in Game 2 with a bases-loaded, no-outs, walk-off base hit in the bottom of the eighth.

"Now we only have to travel to Selah," Bandits coach Gary Key said. "There was an economic value to winning."

Kennewick (19-6, 36-15) will play a nonleague twinbill 4 p.m. Tuesday against Pendleton as it ramps up preparations for its appearance at the regional tournament Friday in Selah.

Twin City Titans 000 000 0 -- 0 1 1

Kennewick Bandits 000 001 x -- 1 5 0

Cody Shepherd and Kevin Lathim; Jacob Nelson and Devin Jones. Highlights--Andrew Mendenhall (K) 2x2; Austin Pentecost (K) 2x2; Nelson (K) 3K, 2W; Shepherd (TC) 9K

Twin City 010 001 00 -- 2 8 2

Kennewick 000 101 01 -- 3 9 0

Kody Young, Jason Jones (6), Pat Forgette (8) and Lathim; Brandon Ellendt, Pentecost (7) and Joseph Driver. Highlights--Young (TC) 6K, W; Max Garrett (TC) 2x4, 2B; Shepherd (TC) 2x4, RBI; Jones (TC) 2x3, 3B; Kevin Valerio (K) 2x4; Keith Woelber (K) 2x4, 2B; Mendenhall (K) 2x3, RBI; French (K) 1x3, 2RBI; Pentecost (K) 2K; Ellendt (K) K.

Hanford sweeps Walla Walla

Zach Browne hit a three RBI homer in the top of the fourth inning of Game 2 to highlight a Hanford sweep of Walla Walla as the Flames beat the Bears 7-4 and 7-2 at Walla Walla Community College.

Hanford Flames 011 220 1 -- 7 14 1

Walla Walla Bears 000 022 0 -- 4 10 0

Jeremy Burk, Derek Fridell (6) and Zach Banks; Lambert and Bickelhaupt. Highlights--Kyle Cruzen (H) 3x3, Josh Osland (H) 3x4; Travis Chalk (H) 2x3; Zach Browne (H) 2x4.

Hanford 100 320 1 -- 7 8 1

Walla Walla 000 010 1 -- 2 5 2

Cruzen, Browne (7) and Banks, Chance Beebe (6); Klicker, Lemke (7) and Fazzari. Highlights--Chalk (H) 2x2; Browne (H) 1x4, HR, 3RBI.