BASEBALL BOYS SPOIL RAIDERS’ BID FOR REVENGE

BY MIKE MALTAIS

The Liberty Bell High School varsity boys’ baseball team carved four new notches into the bat handle with wins over Lake Roosevelt, Okanogan and a double-header over Manson last week.

Lake Roosevelt had a score to settle when they rolled into town Tuesday, April 16, for a league game against the Mountain Lions. When the two teams met for the first time last month, the Mountain Lions took both games of a double-header, one of them an 18-inning come-from-behind win that spanked the Raiders on their home diamond.

This time around wasn’t as dramatic as Liberty Bell cruised to a 6-2 victory on the strength of solid pitching and a series of triples at the plate that fattened the score.

Chase Kurtz started on the mound and mowed down the first inning of batters and gave up one hit before Derek Alumbaugh took over. The eighth-grader threw six innings, struck out eight Raiders and allowed one earned run on three hits.

Liberty Bell took control of the game early when Milo Holston connected for a hit and David Dinsmore got on base on a fielder’s choice. Chip Jones then slammed a triple to drive in Holston and Dinsmore, and by the end of the first inning the Mountain Lions led, 3-1.

In the sixth inning Kurtz advanced to first base on a walk. Alumbaugh hit a triple to drive home Kurtz and Holston followed with a triple to drive in Alumbaugh.

Game over.

Bulldogs collared, 9-3

The Mountain Lions had a score to settle with non-league Okanogan when the Bulldogs arrived for a game Thursday (April 18). In their only previous meeting in mid-March, the Caribou Trail League Bulldogs defeated Liberty Bell, 4-0.

Coach Don Calvert called up his favorite dogcatcher, Andrew Ryan, who threw 90-plus pitches, struck out nine, walked two and gave up three earned runs en route to a 9-3 win.

In what Calvert described as “one of our more complete games all year,” the Mountain Lions strung together seven hits at one point. Among those who punished Okanogan at the plate were Kurtz, 2-3 with an RBI, Cole Darwood 2-3, Dinsmore 1-4 with an RBI and Alumbaugh 1-3 with an RBI.

 

Manson falls hard

The Trojans never threatened in either game of the double-header that Liberty Bell dominated, 15-4 and 20-2 in abbreviated innings.

Both were big games for Dinsmore, who hit 3-4 with a triple and four RBIs the first game. In game two, Dinsmore was a perfect 4-4 that included two triples, four RBIs and scored four runs. Dinsmore also pitched five innings in the second game to notch his first win from the mound in an LBHS uniform.

Jones pitched four of game one’s five innings, struck out five and allowed three earned runs on three hits before surrendering the mound to Morgan Palm.

Sam Thomsen smacked a double, good for two RBIs, and Jacob McMillan connected for his own double that got a rally going in the fourth inning.

“The most improved player award would go to McMillan,” Calvert said.

Hitting highlights of game two included Palm with 2-3 and an RBI, Ryan 1-3 with a triple, Kurtz 1-3 with a triple, and Darwood 1-4 with a double and RBI.

Though he has missed a couple of games this year, Riley Calvert makes his trips to the plate count. He has one of the best on-base percentages and leads the team in walks with 12.

“He always seems to find a way to get on base,” the coach noted.

The Mountain Lions were scheduled to host Pateros Tuesday (April 23). Liberty Bell will travel to Tonasket for a non-league game Thursday (April 25) and host Oroville in a double-header at 11 a.m. Saturday (April 27).