Bandits second in State AAA

With a chance to end a State AAA American Legion championship void, the Spokane Bandits had the title in their sights.

But the Bandits could not hold onto a one-run lead after the fifth inning, and a late rally was not enough to recapture the lead as the Bandits fell 17-14 to Kelso in the championship game on Sunday in Selah, Wash.

Despite the loss, Bandits coach Bobby Carlson said his team made a statement about the progress Spokane legion teams made this season.

“I think it’s a little bit of a break through,” Carlson said. “It just validated our belief that we were a great team and belonged there.”

The Bandits were attempting to become the first Spokane team to win the State AAA American Legion title since 1967. Prior to Sunday, the last time a Spokane team played for the championship was in 1975.

Heading into the fifth inning, the Bandits looked to be on the verge of ending the drought. But the 8-7 lead didn’t hold, as Kelso tagged the Bandits for five runs. Kelso added five more in the sixth.

Spokane battled back in the seventh. Darrick Little hit a two-RBI single in a five-run inning to cut the deficit to 17-13.

“I just told them to stay with it, because they had come that far,” Carlson said. “We knew the game was not out of reach.”

However, the Bandits scored just once in the eighth. Jordan McInnis had three hits and two RBIs for the Bandits. Chase Haack went 3 for 5 with an RBI.

“We could have easily won that game,” Carlson said. “It just didn’t fall our way.”