Okotoks Dawgs 18U Edges Missoula Impact, 6-4

SPOKANE - Pelham Statton tossed four innings of four-hit baseball and Kaydyn Myslicki had three hits including a three-run double to key a big inning as the Okotoks Baseball Academy Red 18U team topped the Missoula Impact Baseball Club, 6-4, in pool play of the Spokane 4th of July Wood Bat Tournament Last Friday at Mt. Spokane High School.

Kody Evans and Nick Karvandi had two hits each in what was a strong showing by the young Impact club. The Okotoks Red 18U squad featured six college commits including Statton, who will play next season for Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona.

Missoula’s pitching was again solid with Caleb Hoppe and Hunter Johns combining to allow six hits and zero earned runs over six innings. However, two key defense mistakes by Impact allowed Okotoks to put up all six runs in a fateful third inning.

Impact jumped ahead with two runs in the first inning on a line drive single by the red-hot Evans, a bloop single by Karvandi, and a fine piece of hitting by Cash Mickey in lacing a line drive RBI single to right field. Okotoks came back with six unearned runs in the third inning.

Landin Ramsay led off with a single and Evans hammered a two-RBI double in the fourth to make it 6-4. Johns kept the game within reach with 2 and 2/3 innings of stellar scoreless relief, giving up only two hits and no walks. However, Missoula couldn’t come up with the big hit all day, especially early in the game when they had their chances against Statton, stranding six runners in the first three innings.