PREP BASEBALL: Lake City, Coeur d'Alene split

COEUR d’ALENE — Cooper Smith had his senior moment in the opener for Lake City on Tuesday.

Chase Saunders had his in the nightcap for the Vikings.

Smith hit a three-run go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh in the opener for the Timberwolves, who rallied for a 6-5 win over the Vikings in an Inland Empire League game at Ted Page Field.

Coeur d'Alene won the second game 13-6.

“I think Cooper was expecting to see something different than what he got,” Lake City coach Mike Criswell said. “He really saved the day for us in that game. Coeur d’Alene’s playing good baseball and their record doesn’t really show how good they are.”

“Cooper is the top hitter in our league and just got into the ball,” Coeur d’Alene coach Erik Karns said. “(Coeur d’Alene starting pitcher) Aidan (Blanco) did a good job of keeping them off balance and moving his pitches around. We had enough hits to win the game, but gave them too many extra bases in the first game.”

Saunders had three hits and four runs scored and sophomore Bam Fenter doubled twice and drove in three runs in the second game for the Vikings, who won the second game to get a split.

“Our guys are finding their way offensively and feel like we can hang with anyone in the league,” Karns said. “We’ve got some growing to do, but we’re feeling good going into the back stretch.”

It was Coeur d’Alene’s third straight split in a doubleheader against a 5A league opponent and Lake City’s second.

“It’s just kind of Jeckyl and Hyde baseball,” Criswell said. “I think we’re happy with just getting one and I’m beating my head against the wall trying to figure out what’s going to work. Everyone in the league has one or two guys that can put the bats to sleep on the mound. We just need to get out of that schedule.”

Coeur d’Alene (9-7, 7-5 IEL) travels to Moscow for a doubleheader on Saturday.

Lake City (9-4, 7-3) travels to Moscow on Thursday for a doubleheader.

FIRST GAME

Lake City    003    000    3    —    6    5    1

Coeur d’Alene    121    000    1    —    5    13    4

Avrey Cherry, AJ Currie (3), Charlie Dixon (5), Mark Holecek (7) and Cooper Smith; Aidan Blanco, Kolbe Coey (7) and Chase Saunders.

HITS: LC — Smith, Dannenberg, Jimenez 2, Shepard. Cd’A — Field, Christ 3, Fenter 3, Coey 2, Saunders, Helms, Voorhees 2. 2B — Dannenberg, Saunders, Fenter. HR — Smith.

SECOND GAME

Lake City    001    041    0    —    6    8    2

Coeur d’Alene    622    012    x    —    13    13    0

Cooper Reese, Kyle Johnson (3), Nate Weatherhead (6) and Avrey Cherry; Harrison Trunkey-Evans, Will Beckenhauer (6) and Chase Saunders.

HITS: LC — Pierce 2, Smith, Dannenberg 2, Cherry, Newby, Shepard. Cd’A — Field 2, Trunkey-Evans 2, Fenter 2, Saunders 3, Voorhees, Foulk 2, Coey. 2B — Smith, Cherry, Fenter 2. 3B — Field, Trunkey-Evans. 

Post Falls 12-8

Lakeland 8-0

RATHDRUM — Senior Tyler French totaled six hits on the day with four runs scored for the Trojans in an Inland Empire League sweep of the Hawks at Gorton Field.

Junior Brandon Morrison had two RBIs and three runs scored in the opener for Post Falls, which led 12-3 after three innings.

Roan Reilly had two RBIs in the first game for Lakeland.

In the nightcap, senior Aidan Tomlinson had two hits and two RBIs and Jackson George allowed one hit over four scoreless innings for Post Falls (10-3, 7-3 IEL), which visits Lake City in a doubleheader on Saturday.

Lakeland (6-8, 1-7) hosts Sandpoint in a doubleheader on Thursday.

FIRST GAME
Post Falls    543    000    0    —    12    10    4

Lakeland    210    040    1    —    8    6    3

Isaac Ziegler, Kaleb Gadley (5) and Marshall Tomlinson; Collin Killian, J. Jovick (3) and Hunter Averitt.

HITS: PF — French 5, DeBoer, Morrison, George 2, A. Tomlinson. LL — Taylor, T. Ellwood, Farrell, Cooksey, Averitt. 2B — French.

SECOND GAME

Post Falls    130    40    —    8    7    0

Lakeland    000    0x    —    0    1    6

Game called with two outs in 5th inning due to darkness.

Jackson George and Aidan Tomlinson; Evan Shanley, Jacob Larcher (2), Broxton Lukey (5) and Kevin Slover.

HITS: PF — Jimerson, French, DeBoer, Cooley, A. Tomlinson 2, Carrasco. LL — R. Ellwood. 2B — none.

St. Maries 3

Kellogg 0

ST. MARIES — Senior Wyatt Holmes struck out 11 in a three-hit shutout for the Lumberjacks in a Central Idaho League win over the Wildcats at City Park.

Freshman Gabe Long and two hits and three RBIs for St. Maries (9-6, 5-2 CIL), which travels to Timberlake on Thursday.

Kellogg (6-5, 3-1) travels to Orofino for a doubleheader on Saturday.

Kellogg    000    000    0    —    0    3    1

St. Maries    002    010    x    —    3    5    0

Travis Eixenberger, Gabe Nosworthy (5) and Austin Clapper; Wyatt Holmes and Gabe Long. 

HITS: Kell — Smith 2, Fields. SM — Abell, Marsh, L. Holmes, Long 2. 2B — Smith.

    MARK NELKE/Press Lake City catcher Cooper Smith waits at home plate for Gavin Helms (4) of Coeur d'Alene to arrive during the first game Tuesday at Coeur d'Alene High.