Lady Broncos end season with loss in Districts

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos ended the season after claiming a win against Reardan and falling to Asotin in the first round of the District Tournament.

The team traveled to Franklin Park in Spokane on Wednesday, May 17, to compete against Reardan in a loser out game.

Head Coach Todd O’Brien said the two teams’ were neck and neck until the fourth inning of the game. The teams had similar skill levels, which affected their chances of earning an early lead, he added.

The LRS team started the game hesitant up to bat, preventing them from scoring runs, he explained.

O’Brien said the team made contact at the plate but could not keep runners on base long enough to score.

The Lady Broncos performed well on defense, preventing Reardan from scoring runs and earning an early lead, he explained.

The Lady Broncos began the fourth inning strong as they quickly hit a single and earned two walks to fill the bases in the first inning. Lacey Miller hit a double to score two runs for the LRS team.

Alisha Baker followed with another double, which allowed the Lady Broncos to score two more runs. The success on offense put the team ahead by five runs going into the fifth inning.

During the game, Miller claimed a double and a single, and Baker hit a double. Tessa O’Brien had two singles and Alarah Pierce-Pulliam had one.

O’Brien said the Lady Broncos remained strong on defense to maintain the lead. They were quick to make plays and tag base runners, he added.

The team improved on the bases throughout the game as they left eight runners on base in the first three innings, and ended with a total of 11 runners on base at the end of the game, said O’Brien.

The Lady Broncos claimed the win 7-3 over Reardan.

The win allowed the Lady Broncos to advance to a second loser-out game against Asotin.

O’Brien described the beginning of the game as a pitchers duel as the two teams failed to score any runs until the third inning. Aldrich threw accurate and fast pitches, preventing Asotin from loading the bases, he explained.

O’Brien said Aldrich had a solid performance and scattered five hits throughout the game.

The Lady Broncos had difficulty making contact at the plate, due to the speed of the Asotin pitcher’s throw, said O’Brien.

“She pitched well when her team needed her and you have to tip your hat off to that,” he explained.

Asotin scored the first runs of the game in the top of the third inning by scoring two. The Lady Broncos continued to be strong on defense, but fell short at the plate and did not score again until the bottom of the seventh inning when Pierce-Pulliam hit a single, said O’Brien.

The LRS team fell to Asotin 2-1 to end their 2017 season.

O’Brien said the loss is disappointing, but he is pleased with how the Lady Broncos remained composed and continued to fight until the end.

He said the team possessed the skills to advance to the next round of the District Tournament, but the lack of runs and consistency on base prevented them from claiming the win.

The team will be losing three seniors, Emily Kinney, Kaylee Pavone and Mathilda Knudsen. O’Brien said the athletes will be missed on the team as they made improvement and accomplishments throughout the season.

They contributed to the team by providing leadership and support to the athletes, he explained.

Overall, O’Brien said he is proud with how the athletes competed this season. They reached a few of their goals by advancing to the postseason and winning a game in districts.