Vikings bat around Lake City

COEUR d'ALENE - Junior Chad Nyquist started the season as the No. 9 hitter for the Coeur d'Alene High baseball team, and has gradually moved his way up the order.

Nyquist now hits fifth, but a couple more games like he had on Monday, and he can probably bat wherever he wants.

Nyquist went 3 for 4 with a double and five RBIs, and also scored twice, as No. 2 seed Coeur d'Alene beat visiting No. 3 Lake City 15-4 in five innings in the first round of the 5A Region 1 baseball tournament Monday at Ted Page Field.

"He's kind of a quiet guy," Coeur d'Alene coach Nick Rook said. "He's been consistent for us all year long, and he's really caught fire, being able to hit for doubles. He's done a really good job lately at the plate."

Coeur d'Alene (20-8) will travel to No. 1 seed Lewiston (22-2) today at 4 p.m. for the regional title and a trip to state May 20-22 in Boise. Lewiston edged Post Falls 2-1. Lake City (14-9) plays host to No. 4 Post Falls (3-16) today at 4 in a loser-out game.

Coeur d'Alene batted around in the first, third and fourth innings, and finished with 13 hits. Matt Lambert's two-run double down the left-field line capped a five-run first inning. After Lake City pulled within 6-4 in the top of the third, Nyquist lined a three-run triple to the fence in right center to make it 9-4 and highlight a five-run third.

"Our guys did a great job with their approach at the plate," Rook said. "They squared up a lot of pitches, and ran the bases really well, and played some solid defense. It was just a good effort all around."

Lake City pulled within two on a four-run third inning, capped by Mike Truscello's two-run home run to right field - Lake City's first home run of the season. But the Timberwolves were guilty of six errors, including one with two out in the first inning that was followed by three more Viking runs.

"You can't expect to make a lot of errors and compete with a team like this," Lake City coach Al Bevacqua said. "I think a little bit of our youth showed. But you've got to rebound; that's what districts is all about, is having that short-term memory and bouncing back."

Coeur d'Alene and Lewiston split their four games during 5A Inland Empire League play - accounting for the Bengals' only two losses this season.

Lake City 004 00 - 4 7 6

Coeur d'Alene 515 4x - 15 13 1

Pete Hoffman, Justin Moses (4) and Bryce Mort; Colin Comack and Devon Austin. W - Comack. L - Hoffman.

HITS: LC - Pharis, Pattis 2, Curtis, Truscello, Combo, Mayfield. Cd'A - Turbin 2, Comack, Austin 2, Dunton, Nyquist 3, Pereira, DeHaas, Lambert 2. 2B - Nyquist, Lambert 2. 3B - Pattis. HR - Truscello (1).

Lewiston 2

Post Falls 1

LEWISTON - Kyle Mai's sixth-inning triple brought in both runs for the No. 1 seeded Bengals, who rallied past No. 4 Post Falls in the 5A Regional tournament.

With the win, Lewiston (11-2) will host No. 2 Coeur d'Alene today, and Post Falls will play at No. 3 Lake City in a loser-out game.

"We took them to the bottom of the sixth and then gave up two unearned runs," Post Falls coach Mick Zeller said. "Cody Clark had his curveball working well and if we just could have gotten a timely hit, we might have been driving home happier."

Zeller said Post Falls (0-13) had the bases loaded in the first.

Kyle Knigge struck out 10 batters on the way to the win, and a Post Falls throwing error on his infield pop-up put two on base in the sixth to set up Mai's bases-clearing hit.

"Clark threw great, and I don't believe anyone else has held Lewiston to only two hits this year," Zeller said. "Knigge threw well and just got more help and the timely hits."

Post Falls 000 100 0 - 1 3 3

Lewiston 000 002 x - 2 2 1

Cody Clark and Scott Benner; Kyle Knigge and Kyle Mai. W - Kennedy. L - Clark (2-6).

HITS: PF - Zach Reeder 2, Taylor Valente. Lew - Holly, Mai. 3B - Mai.

Lakeland 5

Moscow 4

RATHDRUM - Caleb Guerber hit a three-run home run and collected all five Lakeland RBIs and the No. 2 Hawks got past No. 3 Moscow (4-19) in the 4A Region 1 tournament.

Cody Vandever struck out six and earned the win for the Hawks.

"Cody pitched himself out of trouble all day," Lakeland coach Jason Bradbury said. "He had great mound presence and definitely earned the win.

"Caleb's homer lifted the pressure off our guys, and he also ran down two balls in the gap for us," Bradbury said.

With the win, Lakeland (10-10) will play today at No. 1 Sandpoint (12-7). The winner of that game will move on to host the championship game Thursday, and today's loser will fall into a loser-out game on Wednesday.

Moscow 200 020 0 - 4 6 1

Lakeland 300 200 x - 5 7 2

Jake Helbling and Justin Parkins; Cody Vandever and Luke Howell. W - Vandever (3-2) L - Helbling.

HITS: Mos - Helbling 2, Papineau 2, Laven, Brooks. LL - Mobeck, Ogden, Guerber 4, Gray. HR - Helbling, Papineau, Guerber.

• SOFTBALL

Moscow 5

Sandpoint 0

MOSCOW - The visiting Bulldogs managed just four hits against Raelyn Gosse in a loss to the Bears in the first round of the 4A Region 1 tournament.

Amy Westberg had three hits for Moscow (5-18), which travels to Lakeland (11-11) today at 4 p.m. in a semifinal game. The winner advances to the championship round, while the loser plays Sandpoint on Thursday in a loser-out game.

Sandpoint 000 000 0 - 0 4 5

Moscow 021 011 x - 5 9 1

Molly Givens, Maggie Kirscher and Rachel Hammack; Raelyn Gosse and Amy Westberg. W - Gosse. L - Givens (4-7).

HITS: Spt - Givens 2, DaVault 2. Mos - Redinger, Westberg 3, Maxey, Hicks, Wallace, Papineau, Kaitlyn Krasselt. 2B - Westberg 3.