Being in first place in the American Legion Area C "A" ranks apparently didn't agree with the Wood River American Legion baseball team Tuesday night during a nine-inning mid-season clash at Burley.
Wood River (15-7, 12-6 league) coughed up a 6-0 sixth-inning lead and fell 8-6 to the host Bobcats in a single nine-inning contest that counted as two games in the league standings. "We're weren't mentally ready to finish," said Wood River coach Matt Nelson.
Nelson added, "We knew we were in first place going into the game at Burley but I think we kind of gave up. We had guys on base all game long, but we couldn't push those runners home from third base."
Undefeated on the season, Wood River ace Pat Patterson (5-1) had a perfect game going for four innings before giving up a single in the Burley fifth.
Wood River led 1-0 through five frames, scoring once in the first on a Greg Wakefield leadoff walk, a Tyler Israel single and a fielders choice off the bat of Michale Brunker (2 hits).
Nelson's squad (only 6 hits all game) pushed across five runs in the sixth. Jimmy Hague (2 hits) ripped an RBI single to key the rally. Burley answered right back with five runs, cutting its deficit to 6-5, as Steve Cummings belted a three-run homer for the Bobcats.
Burley added three runs in the seventh for an 8-6 lead and knocked Patterson (4 hits, 6 K, 1 BB) out of the game. Wakefield relieved and shut down the 'Cats in the home eighth.
The damage had been done, though, especially since Wood River put runners in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings and couldn't get the big hit when needed.
"Lesson learned, I guess," said Nelson. "We got the lead and thought we'd just be walking through the game to pick up two league wins.
"As a coach, when we've lost this season I've taken some heat for playing a lot of guys, since we have a 20-man roster. But I told the guys afterward that we'll have to put one line-up together for our final push to the end of the season. There are a lot of guys I can trust to get the job done, but there's no position safe—you have to earn your spot every night."
Wood River is in the top ranks of the Area C "A" ranks with Upper Valley, Blackfoot, Bear Lake, Kimberly and Twin Falls. The Hailey boys host the Idaho Falls Royals Wednesday, July 9 at Founders Field in Hailey. Then they go to Shelley and Highland of Pocatello for an overnight trip July 11-12.
