Mead Players Spark M&L; To Legion State Tournament

The Mead Panthers baseball team, better known as M&L Construction in Spokane’s American Legion Baseball League, is headed to the state playoffs.

Better late than never.

M&L defeated Chapter Eleven/ Longhorn BBQ (Shadle Park) 3-2 Saturday night at Shadle Park’s Al K. Jackson Field to win the best-of-three series 2-0. M&L is 26-3. Chapter Eleven/Longhorn BBQ finished the season at 23-6.

In winning the league title, M&L, the league’s North Division champ, will head to the state American Legion playoffs at Yakima. Its first game will be Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at Parker Field.

As for this summer, for many teams, the Legion season is a time to have some fun while honing baseball skills. For M&L, there was more at stake than that.

This past Greater Spokane League season, the Panthers went 7-9, lost seven one-run games and finished in seventh place. That was after a GSL title in ‘94, when the Panthers went 12-4 and won eight one-run games.

“Yeah, this is vindication,” M&L pitcher Jeff Rinck said.

Rinck saw limited action Saturday, but on Friday, he pitched a no-hitter in M&L’s 2-0 win over Chapter Eleven/Longhorn BBQ in the first game of the series.

“Everything just felt real good last night (Friday),” Rinck said. “I’d lost no-hitters before. Sometimes coach (Keith Ward) or the team would talk too me, but I just wanted to be left alone.”

Rinck is one of seven players on the team who has graduated and one of six who will play baseball in college. Finishing with a 3.5 gpa, Rinck and Tim Heeter will play at Cornell (Iowa) College next year.

Their teammate Sam Chimienti will play at Whitworth while Ray Hattenburg will play at Washington State, D.J. Funk at Spokane Falls, Pat Wise at Blue Mountain Community College.

“We wanted a chance to go to state,” Funk said after the 3-2 win. All these guys wanted to stick together.”

After Rinck’s performance Friday, Chapter Eleven/Longhorn BBQ was put in the position of having to win twice Saturday. It came close to having the chance.

Chapter Eleven/Longhorn BBQ pitcher Chris Wilson, who will play at Spokane Falls next year, had scattered five hits over five innings. He worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and battled out of a fourth-inning situation in which M&L had baserunners at second and third.

M&L, with a .370 team batting average, finally started up its hit parade in the bottom of the sixth.

With M&L trailing 2-0, John Barneson reached base on an error before advancing to second on a wild pitch by Wilson. Chimienti then singled to score Barneson and advanced to second on the throw home.

Funk followed with a double. That scored Chimienti, and Corey Oden doubled to score Funk.

In the top of the seventh, Wise got Chapter Eleven/Longhorn BBQ to go three up and three down to end the game.

With the exception of a two-run homer given up to Christiaan Ross, Wise was sharp as he surrendered just four hits. He moved his record to 5-0.

“We felt we had a lot to prove,” Wise said. “We’re a complete team, but during the (GSL) season, it seemed like we just couldn’t break through. This summer, we’ve all just relaxed, and it seems like everybody has broken through.

Wise and Funk were named the players of the game. A second baseman by trade, Funk played at third on Saturday and made some sweet defensive plays while registering three putouts.

The win gave Mead its first berth to the state Legion playoffs. Ward, who coached Mead in Legion action from 1981-83, said once the Panthers started getting players who were more dedicated to baseball, the fortunes of the program started to turn around.

“When I coached, we won three, five and six games,” Ward said. “Even though I haven’t coached them since then, I have watched them every summer. I don’t know if I have seen a team this dedicated to something. We’ve had every guy on this team do something to help us win.”

M&L 3, Chapter Eleven 2

Chapter 002 000 -0 2 4 1 M&L 000 003 x -3 8 0

Wilson, Hancock (4) and Hancock, Huett (4); Wise and Gonnella. W-Wise. L-Wilson.

HITS: Chapter Eleven/Longhorn Barbecue - Ross 3, Baune. M&L Construction - Barneson, Chimienti 2, Funk, Oden, Fish 2, Heeter. 2B-Ross, Funk, Oden. HR-Ross.

, DataTimes