LEGION BASEBALL: Prairie finishes second at Whitworth tourney

SPOKANE — The Prairie Cardinals AA team reached the championship game of the Whitworth Prospect Series on Sunday, falling to the Expos Williamson 18U 5-1 in the championship game at Whitworth University’s Paul Merkel Field. 

Earlier Sunday, Prairie defeated the Central Washington Sixers 18U 9-2. 

In the title game, Bryce Berger homered in the bottom of the first inning for Prairie to tie the game at 1. 

Tyson Blake homered in the third for the Expos, who added three runs in the fifth, two on a double by Eamonn Keaton. 

Prairie loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, and brought the tying run to the plate, but a strikeout and popout ended the game. 

In the first game, Alec Finn hit a three-run double in the first inning for Prairie. 

Gavin Wienker struck out seven, walked three and allowed four hits in 5.2 innings for the Cardinals. 

Prairie (5-2) plays host to Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Brett James Memorial Field in Post Falls in a Class AA North Idaho League game.

EXPOS WILLIAMSON 18U 5, PRAIRIE 1 

Expos     101    030    0    —    5    8    0 

Prairie    100    000    0    —    1    3    0 

Eamonn Keaton, Brady Coulter (7) and Tommy Krotzer; James Morast, Andrew Olson (2), Timothy Howard (5) and Houston Smith. 

HITS: Exp — Blake, Keaton 2, Coulter, Bevan, Bushnell, King 2. Pra — Berger, Olson, Kearney. 2B — Keaton. HR — Blake, Berger.  

PRAIRIE 9, CENTRAL WASHINGTON SIXERS 2 

CW Sixers     000    101    0    —    2    6    1 

Prairie     300    114    x    —    9    5    2 

Carter Peone, Aaden Montes (5), Darian Barr (6) and Manny Barrios; Gavin Wienker, Grady Stinson (6) and Houston Smith. 

HITS: CW — Decubber, Peone 2, Martinez 2, Huber. Pra — Wienker, Berger, Finn, Stinson, Morast. 2B — Peone 2, Decubber, Martinez, Finn.