Zach attack

By JEREMY SHORT
Press Sports Editor

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS July 03, 2009 08:59 pm

— One bad inning was the difference on Friday as Salina scored all five of their runs in the second inning to beat the Tahlequah Desperados 5-3 in the third-place game of the Three Rivers Junior High Tournament in Vinita.
“We had a defensive breakdown in the second,” said Desperados coach Sergio Espinal. “They bunted three times and all three got on.”
Tahlequah took the early lead with a run in the top of the second inning.
The Desperados also scored a run in the fourth and fifth.
Besides a rocky second inning, Desperados starting pitcher Stephen Wheeler performed well as he threw all four innings and had one strikeout.
“Besides one bad inning I though we did a pretty good job,” said Espinal. “We kept throwing the ball away to places we shouldn’t have been throwing.”
From the plate, Zach Armstrong led the way as he went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI’s. Lane Cobb and Wheeler also had two hits a piece for Tahlequah.
The Desperados now have a few weeks off before they play in the American Legion State Tournament in Pryor from July 15-19.
“It was the first time we have been in this league so to get fourth is a pretty good accomplishment,” said Espinal. “But it still leaves a bad taste in our mouth because we know we could have won the game.”

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