Broncos baseball season concludes at District Tournament

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos baseball team ended their 2018 season on May 1 in first round of the District 7 2B League Tournament.

The Broncos lost to Springdale, 2-0, in a game that lasted nine innings.

Head Coach Jason Aldrich said LRS defense played well for the majority of the game as they managed to prevent the Chargers from mounting their offense for the first eight innings.

He added starter Garrett Frederick had not pitched against Springdale when the two teams played each other on April 17. Frederick threw 101 pitches in eight innings, scattering only three hits, walking two batters and striking out three.

Frederick was named to the NE 2B League’s All Opponents team as a pitcher and first baseman. Aldrich said Frederick had some good outings on the mound during the season, and it is not common for sophomores to be selected for the team.

Springdale’s two runs came in the ninth inning after the Broncos committed a throwing error, allowing two Charger base runners to reach home plate.

After closer Easton Nelson came on the mound in the ninth inning, the Broncos made the first two outs after Springdale loaded the bases.

Although Springdale scored on an error, Aldrich acknowledged past scenarios where LRS would commit an error that would allow the other team to score 5-6 runs. To keep Springdale at only two runs is a small victory in itself, he added.

Aldrich said the Broncos struggled at the plate and getting runners on base. He said Springdale’s bullpen only allowed four hits from LRS.

The Broncos ended the season with an 8-13 overall record. Although Aldrich said he would have liked the team to have finished with at least an even record, he noted some positives during the season.

For starters, Aldrich thought the players showed progress, both physically and mentally, throughout the season. Aldrich added the team’s knowledge of the game had also improved since the first game.

He acknowledged LRS was a young team comprised mostly of underclassmen and juniors, who faced teams with 6-7 seniors in their lineup.

The Broncos will lose seniors Nelson and Camden Smith to graduation.

Aldrich said both Smith and Nelson were loyal to the team since they joined the program in eighth grade. They also provided quality leadership to the team and would help the younger players as often as they could.

Aldrich said he really appreciated the effort from both Nelson and Smith they displayed during their senior season and the team will be “sad to see them go.”

Aldrich said the team will spend the rest of May assisting the middle school baseball team. In June, players will be attending summer sports camps in preparation for the next high school season.

As for next season, Aldrich said there is a core group of athletes who could return to the lineup, many of whom will begin the year with varsity experience they acquired this season.

Aldrich said players who plan on returning to the Broncos ball club next year will need to work hard during the offseason.

He noted there are summer baseball programs in Moses Lake and Medical Lake that allow athletes in Adams County to play on the teams and further develop their baseball skills.

Players will need to improve their strength, conditioning and speed to prepare for next season, Aldrich said.