Tigers play close, but drop three games on diamond
By Bruce Tippets
Sports Editor
Two weeks ago, Lander was flying high after three straight American Legion baseball wins.
This past week, the Tigers played well at times, but couldn’t get the breaks and dropped three consecutive games.
On Monday, Powell swept Lander 4-0 and 9-8 at Bart Wilkenson Field. The Tigers tried to rebound Thursday, but dropped a 7-4 contest to Riverton at Roy Peck Field.
“Our errors hurt us, and we couldn’t bunt,” Lander manager Norm Cessna said about the loss to Riverton. “It was basic stuff and fundamental stuff.”
Lander now has a 12-10 record. The Tigers hope to start a better week at 11 a.m. Sunday by hosting Worland in a doubleheader.
“We have to go back and play defense,” Cessna said. “That’s how we have won games. We can’t expect our hitters to drive everything in.”
Riverton 7, Lander 4
Before the contest reached the sixth inning, Riverton already had built a 4-0 lead on the Tigers and seemed to have things under control.
In the top of the sixth, Lander finally put in some offense against Riverton starter Trevor Wilson.
Pat McGowan reached base on a Riverton error. Lander’s Derek Parker took advantage of the mistake and belted a double to bring home McGowan and put the Tigers on the scoreboard. Mike Sawyer delivered an RBI single and the Tigers were back in the contest, trailing 4-2.
The Tigers tied the affair in the top of the seventh, after Mark Schimelpfenig singled down the right field line and Breck Umscheid doubled to knock in a run and make it a 4-3 game. Nik Cessna followed with an RBI groundout and the score was deadlocked at 4-4.
Riverton won the contest in the eighth inning by crossing home plate three times. Pitcher Jeremy Slack shut down Lander in the final inning.
Cessna suffered the setback, going eight innings and giving up seven runs. Sawyer pitched the last two outs.
“Our pitchers are doing what we ask them to do,” Cessna said. “They are keeping us in the game and keeping it close.”
Cessna did say it was difficult for Lander to play a doubleheader on Monday and play again on Thursday.
“For us, we don’t have the depth to be doing too much of this,” Cessna said about not having too much time between games. “But that’s how we get better by playing games.”
Powell sweep
In the opener with Powell, Tysen Armstrong shut down the Tigers with a one-hit, seven-inning performance.
Breck Umscheid allowed four hits in seven innings of work on the mound for Lander.
The Powell runs came via a three-run homer by Armstrong in the fourth and a solo home run by Scotty Jameson in the seventh.
Pat McGowan had the only hits for the Tigers.
In the second contest, Powell scored the winning run in the top of the eighth. Sawyer went seven innings and Cessna took the loss pitching the eighth.
Powell’s Wade Elliot got the win in relief of Mark Hyde.
Powell had 15 hits in the contest.
Derek Parker had a three-run home run in the first for the Tigers and McGowan hit a two-run shot in the seventh to tie the game at 8-8.
Umscheid, McGowan and Parker had two hits for the Tigers.
“The Powell games were similar to the loss with Riverton,” manager Cessna said.
“We missed opportunities to score based on our ability to bunt.”
Riverton 7, Lander 4
RIVERTOn 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 3 x — 7
LANDER 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 — 4
Riverton — Jeremy Slack 2-4, Kyle Blumenshine 0-2, Trevor Wilson 1-4, Zack Christopherson 2-4, Matt Raymond 2-4, Ryan Weber 1-4, Franklin Asmundson 0-2, Stephen Sullivan 1-4, Jarron Monroe 1-4.
Lander — Breck Umscheid 2-4, Pat McGowan 0-5, Nik Cessna 0-5, Derek Parker 2-5, Mike Sawyer 2-4, Daryll Fink, 1-3, Chris Callahan 0-4, David Duncan 0-3, Stephen Baur 1-1, Robby Gutierrez 0-1, Mark Schimelpfenig 2-2. WP: Jeremy Slack, LP: Nik Cessna.
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