PREP ROUNDUP: Timberlake edges Bonners in pitchers' duel in district opener

BASEBALL

3A DISTRICT 1

SPIRIT LAKE — Caden Robinett of Timberlake and Trey Bateman of Bonners Ferry locked up in another pitchers’ duel Wednesday in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the 3A District 1 baseball title.

Just like Timberlake coach Bryce Johnson figured.

“These two have done it for the better part of four years,” Johnson said. “When you have those two guys on the mound, runs are going to be at a premium. And you have to score when you get guys on base.”

As it turned out, Robinett allowed just one hit, Bateman scattered five, and Timberlake (11-9-1) scratched out a pair of runs in the fourth inning to beat visiting Bonners Ferry (4-18) 2-1.

“He just was in a zone; the kid has been Mr. Consistent for a long time now,” Johnson said of Robinett, who struck out 12 and walked two. “He’s been looking forward to this for a long time, and I could tell early he was locked in.”

Robinett allowed a one-out single to Brody Rice in the second inning. Rice advanced to second on a passed ball, then moved up to third on a dropped third strike that got away from the Timberlake catcher. The catcher threw to first base to try to get the batter, there was a collision, the ball squirted away, and Rice scored.

Robinett drew a walk to open the fourth, and Cayden Knight entered as a courtesy runner.

The Tigers tried to bunt Knight to second, but a pitch in the dirt got away from the catcher, and Knight took second. 

Junior James Moore lined a triple to left center to score Knight with the tying run, and Zach Blansfield singled up the middle to score the go-ahead run.

“He (Moore) ran into a fastball, and it was huge for his confidence,” Johnson said. “It was a sigh of relief for him, and a giant fist pump for me.”

Bonners had runners at second and third in the fifth with two out. Johnson opted to intentionally walk Bateman to load the bases, and Robinett got the next batter to fly out.

“After we went up there last Friday and got smacked around after we had wrapped up the league title, I was curious how we would respond, and we responded really well today.” Johnson said.

Game 2 is today at 4 at Spirit Lake.

Bonners Ferry    010    000    0    —    1    1    1

Timberlake    000    200    x    —    2    5    0

Trey Bateman and Jesse Fess; Caden Robinett and Nate Beardsall. 

HITS: BF — Rice. TL — Brennan, Allaway, Moore, Blansfield 2. 3B — Moore.

2A DISTRICT 1-2

St. Maries falls short in bid for state

 OROFINO — St. Maries was three innings away from earning a trip to state, but Grangeville tied it in the fifth and scored three in the sixth to beat the Lumberjacks 4-2 in the second-place game of the 2A District 1 baseball tournament at Orofino High.

Grangeville (20-4) will join district champion Orofino (22-2) at the state tournament May 16-18 at Halliwell Park in Pocatello.

Earlier Wednesday, fourth-seeded St. Maries scored two runs in the top of the seventh to complete a 10-8 comeback win over third-seeded Kellogg in a loser-out game.

Top-seeded Orofino then beat second-seeded Grangeville 5-3 in the championship game for its third straight regional crown, then Grangeville beat St. Maries for the second berth. 

St. Maries finished 11-15. Kellogg ended up 8-12.

In the second-place game, Milo Marsh singled and scored on a passed ball in the fourth to put St. Maries ahead 1-0. David Goicoa tied it for Grangeville with a home run in the fifth. In the sixth, the Bulldogs took the lead on a bases-loaded groundout, then Goicoa delivered a two-run double for a 4-1 lead. 

St. Maries threatened in the top of the seventh when Wyatt Holmes singled in Gabe Long, who finished 3 for 4, to make it 4-2. That put runners at first and third with one out, but the next two batters flew out to end the game.

In the loser-out game, Wyatt Holmes went 3 for 5 and drove in three runs for St. Maries, which trailed 5-1 after five innings before tallying seven runs in the top of the sixth, only to see Kellogg tie it with three in the bottom half.

Austin Clapper was 4 for 4 for Kellogg.

In the seventh, Trey Gibson singled and scored the go-ahead run on an error for the Lumberjacks, and Landen Holmes added a sacrifice fly. 

St. Maries     000    100    1    —    2    11    0

Grangeville    000    013    x    —    4    10    0

Kody Tefft, Milo Marsh (6) and Gabe Long; Cody Klement, JT Jackson (5) and Thayn Williams, Klement (5).

HITS: SM — Anderson, Long 3, L. Holmes 2, W. Holmes, Marsh, Stewart, Nantell, Gibson. Grange — Goicoa 2, Klement 2, Lindsley, Jackson, Ebert 2, Sickels, Williams. 2B — Long, Goicoa. HR — Goicoa.

St. Maries    001    007    2    —    10    11    2

Kellogg    020    123    0    —    8    11    1

Landen Holmes, Chris Brusseau (6), Wyatt Holmes (6), Kody Tefft (7) and Gabe Long; Logan Smith, Travis Eixenberger (6), Austin Clapper (7) and Clapper, unknown (7).

HITS: SM — Anderson, Long 3, L. Holmes, W. Holmes 3, Nantell, Tefft, Gibson. Kell — Rainio, Clapper 4, Smith 2, Whatcott 2, Nosworthy, Allen. 2B — Nantell, W. Holmes, Tefft, Clapper.

4A REGION 1

Moscow 10

Sandpoint 2

MOSCOW — The top-seeded Bears beat the second-seeded Bulldogs at the Moscow School District Community Playfields to sweep the best-of-3 series for the 4A Region 1 title and the region's lone berth to state.

Moscow (17-7), which won regionals for the second straight year, advances to state May 16-18 at Vallivue High in Caldwell.

Sandpoint finished 7-17.

SOFTBALL

3A DISTRICT 1

Timberlake 26

Bonners Ferry 3

SPIRIT LAKE — Alycia Cameron, Reese Allaway and Acacia Pecor each delivered two-run singles in an 11-run first inning, and the host Tigers went on to rout the second-seeded Badgers in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the 3A District 1 title and the district’s lone berth to state.

Pecor hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning for Timberlake (13-8), and finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs and four runs scored.

Marissa Needs added a solo homer in a nine-run fourth, and finished 3 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Casey Whaley hit a two-run single in the fourth, and Jesi Kitchin finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs and four runs scored.

Logan Walsh doubled and tripled, drove in three runs and scored three.

Whaley struck out four and scattered five hits for the top-seeded Tigers.

“I’m proud of my kids; they all came to play today,” Timberlake coach Casi Lupinacci said. “We hit the ball hard all afternoon and played good defense behind our pitcher. Acacia, Logan, and Marissa all crushed the ball. We need to continue with this intensity tomorrow.”

Bonners is 4-14.

Game 2 is today at 4 at Timberlake.

Bonners Ferry    001    11    —    3    5    6

Timberlake    (11)33    9x    —    26    14    1

Taylor Sumpter, Jodee Curtis (2), Jennifer Petersen (4) and Ava Frederickson; Casey Whaley and Logan Walsh.

HITS: BF — Falck, S. Frederickson, Gardner, McBride, K. Sumpter. TL — Kitchin 2, Walsh 2, Pecor 3, Needs 3, Whaley, Cameron, Allaway 2. 2B — Pecor, Needs, Walsh. 3B — S. Frederickson, Walsh. HR — Pecor, Needs. 

LACROSSE

Coeur d’Alene 7

Sandpoint 5

COEUR d’ALENE — Jacob Osterdock and Ian Dahlin scored two goals each as the host Vikings beat the Cutthroats in North Idaho Lacrosse League game at Coeur d’Alene High.

Next up for Coeur d’Alene (5-3) is the regional playoffs Friday and Saturday at Mead High in Spokane.

SANDPOINT — Goals: Wylie Wimmer 2, Sawyer Trendan 1, A. Wand 1, Blayne Kanning. Assists: not reported. Saves: not reported.

COEUR d’ALENE — Goals: Carson Atkinson 1, Jacob Osterdock 2, Aedan Reindel 1, Brayden Osterdock 1, Dahlin 2. Assists: Atkinson 1, Clive Hobbs 1, B. Osterdock 2, Jack Hecktor 1. Saves: Owen Putren 7.