Highs, lows and a league banner

PULLMAN - Encountering nearly every emotion they could fit into 14 innings on a baseball diamond, the Clarkston Bantams left Pullman High with the most important one: elation.

After clinching a share of the regular-season Great Northern League title Tuesday evening, the Bantams finished the job nearly 24 hours later.

After dropping Wednesday's opener to the Greyhounds - a game that saw the Bantams lead by two, trail by nine, lead by two again, then lose by a final of 17-16 - Clarkston funneled its frustration into a five-inning, mercy-rule whipping that saw the visiting team post 10 hits and allow just one en route to an 11-1 victory that would allow them to claim the league championship outright.

The triumph also gave Clarkston a triple crown of sorts: league titles in football, basketball and now baseball.

"A lot of the guys I know are three-sport athletes and this senior class, we've got a big one, and I think it has to do a little with that," senior Dylan Beeler said. "But in general, Clarkston sports are doing great right now."

The Bantams (13-2, 11-2) rode an emotional roller coaster in the first game and at one point, were on the brink of losing via mercy rule. The Hounds led 11-2, needing to plate just one more run to win. Instead, Clarkston scored five times in the top of the sixth, then seven more times in the seventh to force a 14-14 tie. Following a scoreless eighth, the Bantams pushed two more runs across in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the frame, Pullman's Konner Kinkade singled, Jake Mendiola doubled and Griffin Bashaw singled to score both of the runners and knot the game at 16-apiece. Bashaw made it to second on Jake Cillay's groundout, then reached third on a wild pitch.

With one out and the winning run on third, Mike Peterson walked, sending Evan Parks to the plate. Facing a 1-1 count, Parks hit a sharp grounder to Clarkston's second baseman, who fielded the ball cleanly and flipped to second. One out.

Attempting to finish off a 4-6-3 double play that would get Clarkston out of the inning, the Bantam shortstop fired to first, but the base umpire determined that Clarkston's first baseman had removed his foot before Parks got to the bag.

From third, Bashaw trotted home to score the game's winning run.

Clarkston coaches and players protested the ruling, but their efforts were to no avail.

"We were all just like, we couldn't believe that just happened," Beeler said.

Fitting then that a 4-6-3 double play would determine the outcome of the second game.

After stealing a 10-run lead, the Bantams and pitcher Jordan Bolen allowed Pullman its first hit of the contest in the bottom of the fifth inning, but sent Kinkade back to the dugout when Spencer Walker grounded into a fielder's choice.

With one out, the Hounds' Mendiola slapped a grounder to second baseman Josh Lane. Lane tossed to AJ Davis for one out and Davis threw a strike to Taylor Garrett at first, beating the runner and clinching the victory.

With a slew of hits and no defensive errors, the Bantams avoided losing consecutive games for the first time all year.

"(Assistant) coach (Mike) Madrid challenged them afterward," Clarkston coach Bruce Bensching said. "We can either fold and lose another one or just come back and get after it the second game and play baseball. They rose to the occasion. Guys were banging the ball around and it was fun to watch."

Beeler, an Idaho football signee, led Clarkston with three hits - all singles - and laments that his hardest-hit ball fell right into the glove of Pullman's center fielder.

"I was a little bummed," he said, "but I was still happy with 3-for-4."

Bolen tossed a one-hitter, but hit two batters and walked another in the third inning, allowing Pullman to score its lone run.

Minus those slipups, the Clarkston hurler was superb.

"I'm glad he stepped up, we're short a few guys, so he came in clutch for us," Beeler said.

The Bantams' AJ Davis tallied six RBI in the first game and had two more in the second to finish with eight on the day.

Pullman coach Lance Lincoln, whose team is in the midst of a seven-game, 10-day stretch, yanked starter Jake Cillay early after the junior ceded six hits and three free passes in the second and third inning.

"They just came out firing right off the bat and that was the approach that we were hoping to have as well, but obviously we didn't get it," Lincoln said.

FIRST GAME

Clarkston 200 005 702-16 11 6

Pullman 304 223 003-17 12 1

Callen Wessels, Taylor Garrett (5), Nate Savolainen (6) and Kaden Buckner. Mike Peterson, Jake Wells (4), Spencer Walker (5), Griffin Bashaw (6), Konner Kinkade (6) and Payton Utzman.

Clarkston hits - Josh Lane 2 (2B), Brandon Ellibee 2 (3B), AJ Davis (2B), Jordan Bolen 2 (2B), Callen Wessels 2, Nate Savolainen 2 (2B).

Pullman hits - Spencer Walker, Konner Kinkade 3 (2B), Jake Mendiola 2 (2B), Griffin Bashaw (2B), Jake Cillay 2 (3B), Mike Peterson 2, Evan Parks.

SECOND GAME

Clarkston 016 04-11 10 0

Pullman 001 00- 1 1 3

Jordan Bolen and Nate Savolainen. Jake Cillay, Evan Parks (3) and Payton Utzman.

Clarkston hits - Lane, Ellibee, Davis, Dylan Beeler 3, Bolen, Wessels (2B), Tyler Poe 2.

Pullman hits - Konner Kincaid.

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Lawson may be contacted at tlawson@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2260. Follow him on Twitter @TheoLawson_Trib.