Sierra Vista ousted at Legion World Series

SPOKANE, Wash. — A pitcher with a big arm and a designated hitter with a big mouth combined to silence Sierra Vista at the American Legion World Series.

Hard-throwing Kevin Hill scattered five hits and No. 9 hitter Caleb Price — nicknamed “Mouth” because of his nonstop banter — hit a three-run homer to carry the Oklahoma Outlaws to a 7-1 victory Monday at Avista Stadium.

The Lions, who made four errors and gave up five unearned runs, finished 48-17 after following two wins at the World Series with two losses.

“Only one team gets to leave here happy,” coach Levi Gill said. “It’s not us.”

The Western Region champions said they had every intention of leaving with the championship trophy tonight.

“Oh, definitely,” right fielder Brooks Klein said. “(Losing is) terrible, but it motivates us to win it next time.”

Klein, heading into his sophomore year at Western Nevada, went 3-for-4 in his final game of Legion eligibility. All of his hits were blistered, and Sierra Vista had several hard-hit outs, but Hill retired 17 of 18 batters for one stretch.

Sierra Vista scored with two outs in the seventh when Julian Cutolo singled and scored on Oklahoma’s lone error.

Hill (13-2), a full-blooded Cree Indian, throws in the upper 80s. He mixed an effective slider and curve while striking out seven Lions three days after he fanned 15 against Chesapeake, Va.

“He kind of baffled us all day,” Gill said. “We had trouble seeing the difference between his fastball and his slider. He had the same release point.”

“He had some decent off-speed,” Klein said. “He got some guys off balance, but we hit the ball hard. It just doesn’t fall in sometimes.”

Official statistics had Hill throwing 101 pitches in six innings against Chesapeake, but the Outlaws said the total was 83, and Hill had plenty of gas left against the Lions.

“I was ready,” he said. “If I could, I’d pitch every day.”

Sierra Vista starter Dakota Roehl (7-3) gave up just one earned run in seven innings. Left fielder Alex Estrella was charged with three errors, two on tough fly balls.

World Series officials erroneously announced Sunday that Sierra Vista would face Roseburg, Ore., on Monday, but Gill said the Lions knew they drew Oklahoma.

Sierra Vista trailed 2-0 before Price’s towering homer to left field capped a four-run seventh.

“He (Roehl) did an excellent job,” Gill said. “He left the one changeup up and it went out.”