Trash-talking can go two ways; it can intimidate an opponent, or it can fire them up. The fire was there on a hot, dusty 92-degree afternoon on the first day of June for the Riverton Raiders.
Riverton beat the Laramie Rangers, a team they fell to on Friday night via the 10-run rule, 16-6, to win the annual Roy Peck Wooden Bat Tournament.
After an incident at home plate, the Rangers started chipping at the Raiders, with parents joining in from the stands.
Laramie erased a 5-1 Riverton lead in the top of the fourth inning to lead 6-5.
Riverton coaches Eric Baker and Stephen Reinig called the team together before their turn at bat in the bottom of the inning, sternly telling the boys to knock it off, close their mouths, and play.
Play they did.
Riverton roared back with an 11-run burst that ended the game early.
The Raiders had the top of their lineup ready with Jameson Spradlin leading off with a single to left, Brayden Baker narrowly missed a home run, bouncing a double off the center field fence, and Beau Anderson ripped one against the left field fence and outran the throw for a triple. The Rapiers led 8-6 after Colter Heikkila doubled to center again. Ryan Cox kept the ball rolling with a single to center.
Jameson Spradlin beats the throw on a steal – h/t Randy Tucker
Lee Maestas walked, putting runners on the corners. Dane Cox hit a line drive to right, scoring his big brother. Addison Trujillo drove in Maestas with a single to center, and the Raiders were up 11-6.
The entire order went through with just one out. Spradlin reached this time on a Laramie error. A single by Anderson drove in Dane Cox. Heikkila was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
Spradlin scored on a passed ball, setting up a walk-off single by Ryan Cox.
Cox ripped the ball inside the Laramie third baseman down the left field line, driving in Heikkila and Anderson for the 10-run win.
Lander rode a seven-run burst in the sixth inning to pull away from the Lockwood, Montana Razorbacks, and took third place in the annual Roy Peck Wooden Bat Tournament. Lander scored nearly every way possible aside from a home run, reaching base on three walks, an error, getting hit by a pitch, a single and a pair of doubles in the sixth inning.
They host Green River in a Tuesday double-header at 3 and 5 pm before playing the Lander Lobos on Thursday at 6.
LARAMIE 0 0 1 5 – 6 4 4
RIVERTON 5 0 0 11 – 16 14 3
Riverton Raiders – Jameson Spradlin 1-4 S, Brayden Baker 2-4 2S, Beau Anderson 3-3 2S 3B, Colter Heikkila 1-3 2B, Ryan Cox 3-4 2S 2B, Lee Maestas 0-2, Brayden Martin 1-2 S, Dane Cox 1-2 S, Addison Trujillo 2-3 2S. Totals 14-26
WP: Brayden Baker (3.1) 2H, 5K, 2BB, Ryan Cox (.2) 2H, 1K, 0BB
LP: Tripp Looney (.2) 8H, 1K, 1BB, Quade Gill (3) 5H, 3K, 2BB
Laramie Rangers – Jackson Bailey 0-3, Jaymes Bailey 0-2, Quade Gill 0-2, Tripp Looney 0-1, Trace Looney 0-1, Cayden Hardesty 1-2, Maddox Dorrell 1-2, Brayden Mohr 2-2, Jaxson Gosar 0-1, Colton Carline 0-1. Totals 4-17
LANDER 1 0 0 0 1 7 – 9 7 1
LOCKWOOD 0 2 0 1 0 1 – 4 10 2
Lander Legends – Grady Eagle 1-3 S, Cash Chance 0-1, Dane Kramer 1-3 2B, Jacob Bush 2-2 2S, Jace Hammond 0-3, Gage Toups 1-3 2B, Cody West 1-4 S, Douglas Mowrey 0-2, William Oland 1-3 S. Totals 7-24
Lockwood Razorbacks – Dalton Staton 1-4 S, Tyler Liegnemann 0-3, Teirnan Schaff 0-1, Dawson Serock 1-3 S, Tristan Staton 0-3, Patrick McKell 2-3 2S, Cooper Struckman 0-3, Will Wetzel 2-3 S 2B, Ethan Waddoups 2-3 2S, Teig Egge 2-3 S 2B. Totals 10-29
WP: William Winn (4) 8H, 4K, 0BB, Issac Oland (2) 2H, 1K, 0BB
LP: Tyler Legnemann (4) 1H, 1K, 2BB, Teirnan Schaff (1) 3H, 2K, 1BB, Dalton Staton 2H, 2K, 3BB