In a sport where every team experiences its share of good times and bad, the Lewis-Clark Twins are currently dealing with the latter.
Perhaps that might explain why they finished dead-last in their own tournament.
Sunday, after going 1-3 in the round-robin portion of the Dwight Church Memorial American Legion baseball tournament,
the Twins wound up on the losing end of a 4-2 matchup against the Nampa Chiefs at Clearwater Field.
Centralia, Wash., trounced the Spokane Cannons 11-0 in the tournament championship game, which was played later in the day at Harris Field.
Sunday's win gave Nampa seventh place in the eight-team tourney.
"Every team goes through those points where they have peaks and valleys, right now we're just not playing well," L-C coach Tom Grunenfelder said. "We're not going to push the panic button just yet."
Throughout the tournament, L-C found itself lacking just one thing -- the big hit. And Sunday was no exception.
In the first inning, with one run already across, L-C had an opportunity to break the game wide open with the bases loaded. But the Twins failed to get the all-important clutch hit, and wound up leaving all three runners stranded.
Then in the sixth with the bases loaded and only one out, L-C came up completely empty-handed.
"Maybe we were a little tired," Grunenfelder said, alluding to the fact that his team had played in two consecutive tournaments with only two days off in between. "We just didn't play with much emotion or much heart.
"Maybe this will be the wakeup call that we need to work a little bit harder at it."
Jason Rodgers pitched a complete game for the Twins, scattering eight hits and allowing four runs. But he didn't get the run support the Twins usually supply.
Nampa was able to take the lead in the third inning with limited offensive output. With the game tied at one apiece, Casey Brenton drew a walk and was sent to third on a Jake Lively single. Dominic DeLaPaz came up and drove them both home on a single of his own.
The Twins scored again in the fourth, but it was all they would get the rest of the way.
The Twins, who fall to 24-13, resume action with road trips to Post Falls on Tuesday and Cranbrook, B.C., on Wednesday before coming home to face Trail, B.C., and Cranbrook over the weekend.
Lewis-Clark 100 100 0--2 9 0
Nampa 012 010 x--4 8 0
Jason Rodgers and Josh Rogers. Jeff DeForest, Tyler Lenz (4) and Adam Hiaring.
Lewis-Clark hits -- Jake Canner 3 (2B), Josh Rogers (2B), Jake Rogers, Kyle Greene 2, Ryan Marsh (2B), Greg Frisbee.
Nampa hits -- Casey Brenton, Jake Lively 2 (2B), Eric Miller (2B), Dominich DeLaPaz 2, Seth Dunn, Willie Fabela.
Centralia 11, Spo. Cannons 0
The Centralia Baggers flew through the championship game much like they did the whole tournament, defeating the Spokane Cannons in a game that was called after five innings on account of the 10-run mercy rule.
The Baggers started slowly enough, scoring once in the first inning. But exploded for six in the top of the third and never looked back.
Vince McKinney pitched a complete game for Centralia, allowing only two hits.
Centralia 106 04--11 12 0
Spokane 000 00-- 0 2 1
Vince McKinney and Luke Abbott. Andrew Czapala and Tyler Hauschild.
Centralia hits -- Eddie Smith, Justin Larkin 2, Chris Beard 2, Andrew Maring 2, Luke Abbott, Matt Pollard 2, Mat Goff 2.
Spokane hits -- Drew Wells, Tyler Hauschild (2B).
Boise 3, Spokane Bandits 0
The Boise Gems had little trouble dispatching the Spokane Bandits in the tournament's third-place game.
Boise took an 2-0 lead in the second inning after Ren Lombardo and Kurt Dykstra both reached base. Mickey Pingree singled in Lombardo and Taylor Rust brought in the second run with a sacrifice fly.
Boise's Parker Mangum held the Bandits scoreless over seven innings of work and allowed only three hits.
Spokane 000 000 0--0 3 3
Boise 002 100 x--3 5 1
Casey VanSickle and Erik Loft. Parker Mangum and Michael Therrian.
Spokane hits -- Matt McClenny (2B), Tyler Shamberger, Erik Loft.
Boise hits -- Levi Shumway (2B), Mickey Pingree, Joe Balbas 2, Kyle Jones.
Missoula 11, Highland 0
The Missoula Mavericks ended a disappointing tournament with a win over Highland of Pocatello.
The win gave Missoula fifth place in the final tournament standings.
Missoula jumped ahead early in the 10-run-rule shortened game, scoring nine runs in the first three innings, including four in each the second and third.
Highland 000 00-- 0 3 3
Missoula 244 1x--11 10 0
Jake Smith and Nick Sorrell. Derek Dungan and Tyler Hoffman.
Highland hits -- Adam Henson, Nick Sorrell, Chris Russ.
Missoula hits -- Tyler Hoffman 3 (2B, 3B), Adam Kerr, Jesse Corbett, Tony Ettlin 2, Jesse Ayala, David Williams 2.