Lumberjacks rule

SPIRIT LAKE - Ashton Stephenson singled in Jordan Stapleton with the go-ahead run with two out in the top of the seventh inning, and the St. Maries Lumberjacks went on to defeat the Timberlake Tigers 4-3 in the 3A District 1 baseball championship game Saturday at Timberlake High.

St. Maries (11-9) will face South Fremont (13-7) in the opening round of the state 3A tournament on Thursday at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., at 3 p.m. PDT.

"It was a great overall team effort today," St. Maries coach Craig Tefft said. "I'm real proud of our kids. Timberlake didn't walk or hit anyone. It was just a really well played game."

Timberlake came back to beat Bonners Ferry 11-1 to earn the district's second berth to state. The Tigers (14-6) open state vs. Snake River (14-6) on Thursday at 9 a.m.

Earlier, Bonners Ferry eliminated Priest River 11-5.

St. Maries 4, Timberlake 3: Casey Rogstad hit a two-run single in the first inning for Timberlake.

Stephenson struck out two of three batters faced in the seventh for St. Maries.

"Ashton had a great tournament both pitching and hitting," Tefft said. "Everyone stepped up and had clutch hits tonight."

St. Maries 000 030 1 - 4 10 3

Timberlake 200 100 0 - 3 6 1

David Barbour, Dylan Michael (4), Ashton Stephenson (7) and Ray Flowers; Hunter Tonkin, John Galloway (5) and Austin Allen. W - Michael (1-0). L - Galloway (0-3). S - Stephenson (1).

HITS: SM - Stapleton 2, Stephenson, Turner, Truscott, Barbour, Sullivan, Michael, Walters, Flowers. TL - Galloway, Page 2, Rogstad, Stocks, Thiel. 2B - Stapleton, Sullivan, Flowers.

Bonners Ferry 11, Priest River 5: Shane Miller went 2 for 5 with three RBIs and Alex Awbrey took a no-hitter into the fifth inning for the Badgers in a loser-out game.

Josiah Owinyo had two hits for Bonners Ferry.

Dalton Sommer had two RBIs for Priest River, which concluded 6-13

Bonners Ferry 000 252 2 - 11 10 1

Priest River 000 020 3 - 5 6 4

Alex Awbrey and Garrett Skeen; Jake Perkins, R.C. Akre (2), Dalton Sommer (5) and Tyler Barber. W - Awbrey (5-3). L - Akre.

HITS: BF - Owinyo 2, Miller 2, Awbrey, Clarkson 2, Cunnigham, Neumeyer, Woods. PR - Sommer, Brooks 2, Edwards 2, K. Akre. 2B - Miller, Clarkson, Cunningham, Akre.

Timberlake 11, Bonners Ferry 1: Trenton Reese drove in three runs, Mason Cramer went 3 for 3 and drove in two, and Jerry Thiel hit a two-run single in the first inning to help the Tigers secure a state berth.

Rogstad, who didn't pitch last year because of an elbow injury, and had only pitched two innings this year as well, pitched three effective innings in a spot start for Timberlake.

"I was proud of them," Timberlake coach Bill Rider said of his team. "I'm glad we redid the format, and didn't have to come right back after the title game and play again. The kids came ready to play in the second game."

Bonners Ferry finished 8-10.

Bonners Ferry 001 00 - 1 2 5

Timberlake 620 03 - 11 10 0

Game called in 5th inning due to 10-run rule.

Josiah Owinyo, Neumeyer (3) and Garrett Skeen; Casey Rogstad, John Galloway (4) and Austin Allen. W - Rogstad (1-0). L - Owinyo.

HITS: BF - Clarkson, Neumeyer. TL - Allen, Galloway, Masterson 2, Reese, Cramer 3, Johnson, Thiel. 2B - Cramer. 3B - Neumeyer.