Cooper's homer wins it for Hawks
BOISE - Just before the Lakeland Hawks batted in the bottom of the seventh inning on Thursday, Eric Cooper received some advice from coach Jason Bradbury.
"I said 'Coop, you need to turn on one - you've been late all day long,'" Bradbury said.
With one out, after Derek Donoian on first following an error, Cooper indeed turned on the first pitch he saw - and sent it over the left-field fence for a two-run homer as Lakeland beat Skyview of Nampa 13-11 in the first round of the state 4A baseball tournament at Bishop Kelly High.
"He roped it - I was really proud of him," Bradbury said following Cooper's first homer of the year.
Lakeland (14-12) advanced to the semifinals tonight at 6 PDT, where the Hawks will face Twin Falls (21-5), a 3-1 winner over Bishop Kelly.
Daniel Whitesitt hit a pair of solo home runs for Lakeland, whose pitchers walked 13.
Leadoff batter Troy Carr went 3 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs, and catcher Luke Howell was 3 for 4 with a pair of RBIs.
Skyview (13-14) tied the game at 9 with four runs in the top of the sixth, and tied it at 11 with two more in the seventh.
"Our guys just never gave up all day," Bradbury said. "Skyview kept coming back, and we kept scoring."
Skyview 230 004 2 - 11 7 2
Lakeland 411 032 2 - 13 13 4
1 out when winning run scored.
Lupton, Messinbrink (3) and Ashworth; Cody Vandever, Reece Dietrich (6), Joe Schwalbach (6), Gaige Gray (7) and Luke Howell. W - Gray (1-0). L - Messinbrink.
HITS: Sky - Battles, Lupton 2, Liliegren, Hensley, Anderson 2. LL - Carr 3, Donoian, Cooper, Burnett, Whitesitt 2, Long, Howell 3, Prockish. 2B - Battles, Carr 2. HR - Whitesitt 2 (3), Cooper (1).
At Hawks Memorial Stadium, Boise
Thursday
Eagle 10, Highland 2
Lewiston 8, Rocky Mountain 1
Capital 20, Centennial 4, 5 innings
Mountain View 4, Coeur d'Alene 3
Friday
Highland (19-6) vs. Rocky Mountain (19-7), 9 a.m.
Centennial (14-13) vs. Coeur d'Alene (23-2), noon
Eagle (19-5) vs. Lewiston (16-10), 3:30 p.m.
Capital (21-5) vs. Mountain View (18-9), 6:15
At Bishop Kelly High, Boise
Thursday
Kuna 11, Pocatello 1, 6 innings
Bonneville 12, Minico 7
Lakeland 13, Skyview 11
Twin Falls 3, Bishop Kelly 1
Friday
Pocatello (10-10) vs. Minico (19-7), 9 a.m.
Skyview (13-14) vs. Bishop Kelly (17-6), noon
Kuna (20-5) vs. Bonneville (18-5), 3 p.m.
Lakeland (14-12) vs. Twin Falls (21-5), 6
At Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario, Ore.
Thursday
Payette 11, South Fremont 0, 5 innings
Bonners Ferry 12, Buhl 6
Kimberly 9, Snake River 3
Fruitland 14, Priest River 4
Friday
South Fremont (8-11) vs. Buhl (10-13), 9 a.m.
Snake River (14-5) vs. Priest River (12-11), noon
Payette vs. Bonners Ferry (11-13), 3 p.m.
Kimberly (20-3) vs. Fruitland, 6