Broncos fall to Asotin, pick up the intensity against Reardan

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos baseball team showcased improvement in their hitting abilities during two league doubleheaders against Asotin and Reardan.

Head Coach Jason Aldrich said despite the losses to Asotin, the games proved to be a solid effort from the Broncos as they continue to develop skills early in the season.

The team hit the road on Saturday, March 25, to face Asotin. Aldrich said they expected it to be a tough game due to Asotin’s record of seasons at the state playoffs.

The Broncos started the first game off slow only hitting two singles. Aldrich said the team had a difficult time hitting the Asotin pitcher’s fast pitches as he quickly struck out batters to make three outs.

The team struggled to throw strikes in the first two innings, allowing the Chargers to maintain the lead, he explained.

Asotin’s pitcher continued to throw strong pitches and he struck out the first three batters in the second inning. As a freshman, Aldrich said the player’s advanced skills impressed him and the Broncos knew they needed to have quick hands at the plate to score runs.

By the fourth inning, the Asotin remained in the lead 6-2. Aldrich said the team continued to struggle to make contact with the ball, resulting in the low score.

In the sixth inning, the Broncos began to familiarize themselves with the pitcher’s style and scored two runs. Aldrich said one of the team’s strengths is their speed, which allowed them to quickly steal bases and make instinctive runs.

Despite their efforts, Asotin claimed the win, 11-6.

Aldrich said the team continued to have difficulty hitting the ball in the second game as Asotin claimed the victory in five innings.

Asotin’s pitcher remained ruthless on the mound despite pitching two games, he explained. After four innings, the pitcher had only thrown 48 pitches, facing the minimum 12 batters and preventing the Broncos from scoring runs.

By the end of the game he had eight strike outs and only allowed one infield hit in the fifth inning, said Aldrich.

He said Asotin is also a strong hitting team, and the Broncos struggled to make plays, as there were no easy outs. Aldrich said the Chargers had no difficulty hitting the ball .

Unable to make contact with the ball to score runs, Asotin walked away with a second win of 13-0.

Aldrich said the games showed him what improvements the Broncos need to make before they face another elite team. Despite the losses, he is pleased with the team’s determination to not give up and remain solid forces on the field.

On Saturday, April 1, the Broncos hosted Reardan for a league doubleheader.

Aldrich stated the games were a turning point for the team as they started the first inning by scoring four runs. The early lead gave the Broncos a boost of confidence and they continued to make contact with the ball and remain strong on defense, he explained.

Garrett Frederick pitched well during the game, only allowing four earned runs, said Aldrich. As a freshman, Frederick is still developing his skills as a pitcher and Aldrich expects him to improve tremendously throughout the season.

The Broncos made solid contact with the ball in the first game and quickly gained the lead. Aldrich said Bryce Hansen hit two for three, Bryce Kelly had two hits and two RBIs, and Cole Cameron also had two RBIs.

He stated the team displayed strong hitting during the game and he is pleased with their performance at the plate.

On defense, the Broncos were quick to make plays preventing Reardan from scoring runs. Aldrich said Camden Smith had a successful day at shortstop, and he continues to improve his skills and remain a leader on the field.

Kelly relieved Frederick in the fifth inning and struck out four batters to end the game in the sixth inning. The Broncos claimed the win, 13-7.

For the second game Aldrich said the team continued to showcase strong fundamentals as they quickly scored six runs in the first three innings.

Hansen pitched a complete game and it only took him 89 pitches to make it through 23 batters, he explained. Aldrich said the player impressed him on the mound and he proved to be efficient in striking out batters.

Spencer Miller also had a solid game as catcher as he contributed to making plays by throwing out two batters trying to steal bases.

The team also had a successful game hitting to earn runs, said Aldrich. Kyle Gimmaka, Chandler Widman, Smith, Cameron, Hansen and Frederick all had one RBI, and Patrick Bartz had two.

Aldrich stated Widman, Gimmaka and Bartz all provided excellent speed on the bases and contributed immensely to the team’s score. Their speed put stress on Reardan’s defense, causing them to make several errors in favor of the Broncos, he explained.

Smith continued to be a solid force at shortstop and claimed 12 assists for the Broncos.

The Broncos claimed the second win against Reardan 10-1, which showcased the team’s strong efforts on defense, said Aldrich.

He said the wins put the Broncos ahead of Reardan for playoffs seeding. Although it is still early in the season, he said the limited number of games makes the outcome important to the team’s ranking.

With time off for spring break, Aldrich said he expects the players to continue improving their skills at home as they have two important games against Liberty on Saturday, April 8, in Spangle.

Aldrich said they expect it to be a tough match and the team knows they will have to really compete to earn the win.