Broncos baseball team succeeds in doubleheader against NWC

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos kicked off the spring season with two wins against Northwest Christian (NWC) in a non-league doubleheader game on March 17.

Head Coach Jason Aldrich said the team competed well for the first games of the season as the Broncos had many starting members return this year.

In the first game, Aldrich said he rotated all top four pitchers on the mound and Garrett Frederick pitched the first four innings. With the new state pitching rule setting a pitching limitation of 105 pitches per pitcher per day, he monitored the pitchers and looked for signs of fatigue, he explained.

Going into the game, Aldrich said the four pitchers knew they would have to pitch consistent strikes and maintain efficient at the mound to stay ahead of NWC.

Pitching for the Broncos were Frederick, Bryce Kelly, Camden Smith and Bryce Hansen.

As for hitting, he said the Broncos executed bunts well on offense. Aldrich said the team had the opportunity to improve their short game when poor weather forced practices indoors.

The high levels of speed on the team allowed them to be successful in base running during short plays as well, he explained.

The Broncos gained the lead in the first two innings and were quick to steal bases when the NWC catcher made errors, said Aldrich. They went into the fourth inning ahead 3-1 after Frederick struck out the first three batters.

Frederick began to tire as he walked the first three batters in the inning and Aldrich rotated Kelly onto the mound. Kelly pitched well for two innings striking out four batters before Smith stepped up to pitch.

The Broncos made six runs in two innings to maintain the lead. Brenden Bell led the team in singles with three while Patrick Bartz and Smith claimed two.

Aldrich said Hansen proved to be a strong force behind the plate, being quick to run after foul balls and assist in plays. After catching for six innings, Hansen removed his gear to relieve Smith in the final inning.

In order to prevent exhausting players, Aldrich said they normally try to avoid rotating athletes between catcher and pitcher, but they knew Hansen acquired the skills to be successful. He went into the inning with one out and struck out the next two batters in eight pitches to end the game.

The Broncos claimed victory over NWC in the first game of the doubleheader 10-8.

Hansen started as pitcher for the second game. While he continued to throw strikes, Aldrich said the Broncos made some mental errors on the field, which made them fall behind in score early in the game.

He said the team had a rough start to the second inning as NWC quickly made the first two outs. In the third inning, Smith relieved Hansen at the mound.

NWC continued to be successful at the plate and scored five runs in the second inning.

After falling behind, the Broncos make solid contact with the ball in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored seven runs to be in the lead.

Frederick returned to the mound in the sixth inning, and threw accurate, fast pitches, to strike out two hitters to end the second game. The team only played six innings due to darkness, explained Aldrich.

The Broncos walked away with a second win 11-9 over NWC.

Overall, Aldrich said the team competed well for the first games of the season and he thinks the Broncos and NWC make a good match up.

Due to the game being non-league Aldrich said NWC played their younger pitchers to give them additional mound time. If the two teams face each other in the postseason, Aldrich said they expect faster and more accurate pitches from NWC.

For the beginning of the season, Aldrich said the team will focus on improving overall technique in order to be in the rhythm of the game. The Broncos will be working on a variety of skills including run-down situations, pitching, fielding, hitting and base running.

The Broncos travel to Asotin on Saturday, March 25. Aldrich said he expects it to be a tough game considering Asotin has been in the state playoffs for the past six years.

In order to earn the win, Aldrich said the team will need to focus on throwing consistent pitches and dominating plays on the field.