HARTLINE – On Wednesday, the ACH Legion A Warriors hosted the first round of their playoffs in Hartline. They split their doubleheader against the Trail Orioles A and the Cheney Summer Hawks A teams. Head coach Hunter Lee said he was proud of how his team rallied.  

“We got the job done. We want at least one (win), so we get to advance to the knockout round this weekend, but we definitely have to limit the walks and hits by pitches,” Lee said. 

In their first game against the Orioles, the Warriors fell behind early. According to Lee, they came out flat. At the top of the first inning, the Orioles scored four runs to take the lead. They would hold a 4-0 lead through the third inning before another run from either team would be scored.  

In the top of the fourth inning, the Orioles added two more runs to their lead. The Warriors would respond by scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the lead to 6-1. The Warriors would hold strong in the top of the fifth inning and keep the Orioles from scoring any runs.  

When the Warriors took over on offense in the bottom of the fifth inning, they strung together a comeback attempt. The Warriors erupted for five runs to tie the game 6-6 and swing the momentum back in their favor.  

“It was good that we just didn't roll over. We battled back, took advantage of some mistakes on their part, and did what we needed to do and put ourselves in a situation to win,” Lee said.  

However, the Orioles responded in the top of the sixth inning with five runs and retook the lead at 11-6. According to Lee, the Orioles' strong hitting, coupled with mistakes on their part, allowed the game to slip away from them. The Warriors allowed a few walks and missed opportunities to make plays on defense.  

The Warriors were held scoreless in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Orioles built on their recaptured momentum and scored three more runs in the top of the seventh, increasing their lead to 14-6.  

With the game almost out of reach, the Warriors made one last comeback attempt. However, they would be unsuccessful and only scored three runs before the Orioles secured the win, with a final score of 14-9.  

“It's just those little things that you really have to be able to do to win when you get into this type of baseball with the playoffs,” Lee said.  

The Warriors would have to dust off the loss and prepare for their second game of the afternoon against the Cheney Summer Hawks. Since they lost the first game, they were now facing elimination at home with the risk of another loss. According to Lee, they came into their second game motivated.  

The Warriors started the game strong. Heading into the top of the third inning, they led 5-1. In the bottom of the second inning, the Warriors got aggressive with base stealing. Zach Booker was on second base and ran Jackson Elder off third. It was a close call, but Elder got home, and Booker made it to third base.  

While Lee disapproved of the approach in that instance, he said he was glad it worked in their favor. According to him, base running is a key component to their game plan.  

“Sometimes things go your way and work out. Base running is huge, especially at the youth level. Taking extra bases, obviously, wasn't the how I would really like to do it, but it puts a lot of stress on the defense, and balls get thrown away quite a bit at this level. and it's something we look to take advantage of,” he said. 

Across the third and fourth innings, the Summer Hawks scored five runs to take a one-point lead over the Warriors. It would take the Warriors until the bottom of the fifth inning to regain momentum. They made sure to capitalize on it once they did. They exploded for eight runs and retook the lead at 13-6.  

According to Lee, his team did a good job of getting on base and not chasing bad pitches. The Warriors were walked several times throughout the inning, which allowed them to get a lot of players on base.  

In the top of the seventh, the Summer Hawks could only score one more run before being thrown out. The Warriors took over in the bottom of the inning and added four more runs to secure a 17-7 victory and advance to the knockout rounds of the playoffs.  

The Warriors had some anchors in their doubleheader who Lee praised for their contributions. Not only in those games, but all season. He said Nolan Grindy stepped up for the team, taking over the lead hit off spot.  

“He's been great at setting the table for us and getting on base. He's swinging it really well right now,” Lee said. 

Jordan Balderas and Levi Oliver were complimented for their production, too. Lee said Balderas executed a couple of big hits for them to swing the game in their favor, while Oliver remained consistent. According to Lee, Oliver does not strike out often.  

After splitting the doubleheader, Lee came out knowing what his team needed to focus on heading into this weekend.  

“We want other teams to beat us. We don't want to beat ourselves, so I'm fine with them putting the ball in play and hitting the ball around. I hate walks, so that's something we have to clean up,” he said.  

Knockout round games start on Friday in Medical Lake, but Lee said no matter how the Warriors do, they will play on Saturday, as well. The results of Friday will determine what time they play on Saturday. As they prepare, Lee said he feels optimistic about what his team can do this weekend.  

“I think we're starting to peak at the right time. We're really excited to see what we can do in these playoffs and see how far we can take it,” Lee said.  

Box Score 

TRLR:  4 0 0 2 0 5 3  14
ACHL: 0 0 0 1 5 0 3    9 

CHNY: 1 0 2 3 0 1  7  
ACHL:  2 3 0 0 8 4  17  

    Warriors Ethan Martinez throws a pitch against a Cheney Summer Hawks batter. Martinez only allowed one earned run and struck out five Summer Hawk batters. The Warriors were victorious 17-7.
  

    Warriors head coach Hunter Lee pumps up his team after a successful defensive inning. Lee said his team has come along this season in development and is picking up the high school competition at a quick pace.
  

    Warriors Nolan Grindy slides into home base to score for his team. Head coach Hunter Lee said Grindy has been great for the team all season and does a good job of getting on base. Grindy recorded a double against the Summer Hawks.
  

    Warriors head coach Hunter Lee watches as his team is up to bat against the Cheney Summer Hawks. Lee said his team emphasizes base running in order to put pressure on their opponent's defense.
  

    Warriors Jase Frederick encourages his team from the dugout as they go up to bat. Frederick recorded two RBI’s for the Warriors against the Cheney Summer Hawks.