Cd'A falls in seven innings

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - For the second straight night, it was a strong start but a tough finish for the Coeur d'Alene All-Stars at the Little League Northwest Regional baseball tournament.

Billings, Mont., scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to force extra innings, then Julian Federico hit a walk-off grand slam with two outs in the seventh for a 9-5 victory over Coeur d'Alene at At Houghton Field.

Coeur d'Alene is now 0-2 midway through its four round-robin pool play games in the six-team tournament.

"We had a great start, and couldn't close the deal," Coeur d'Alene coach Paul Manzardo said. "They (the kids) are bouncing back - they're in the barracks, and I'm listening to them trading pins with the Hawaiian team."

On Sunday, Coeur d'Alene scored all five of its runs in the top of the first inning. Zach Sensel walked, Kyle Manzardo singled and Bridger Rinaldi reached on an error. One out later, Brandon Gay delivered a two-run singled. Kobe Sims followed with a sacrifice fly, Bennett Cunningham had an RBI single and Cunningham scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0.

Billings scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innnings. In the sixth, two runs scored on an error, and the tying run scored on a passed ball with two out.

Gay finished 2 for 4 for Coeur d'Alene. Anton Watson struck out three and allowed one hit in three innings pitched.

Coeur d'Alene is off today, then wraps up round-robin play vs. Anchorage, Alaska, on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and vs. Cody, Wyo., on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Anchorage and Cody are both 0-2 in round-robin play.

The top four teams advance to Thursday's semifinals. Wins in both games would advance Coeur d'Alene to the semis.

"I do feel we're as good as all the teams in our pool," Manzardo said. "We just had bad luck in the two games we got beat."

Late Saturday night, Coeur d'Alene scored twice in the top of the first inning, but lost 3-2 when Lake Oswego, Ore., scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth.

"The kids played good," Manzardo said after Saturday's game. "Unfortunately, it's baseball and sometimes in a close game, someone has to lose, and tonight it was us. The kids played hard and gave 110 percent and I'm proud of how they competed. Little League is about more than baseball, it's about learning lessons, and we'll learn from this."

LITTLE LEAGUE

NORTHWEST REGIONAL

STANDINGS (Top 4 advance to semifinals) - Lake Oswego, Ore., 2-0; Sammamish, Wash., 2-0, Billings, Mont., 2-0; Coeur d'Alene 0-2; Cody, Wyo., 0-2; Anchorage, Alaska, 0-2.

Friday, Aug. 2

Sammamish, Wash. 10, Anchorage, Alaska 2

Saturday, Aug. 3

Billings, Mont., 3, Anchorage, Alaska 0

Sammamish, Wash., 16, Cody, Wyo. 2

Lake Oswego, Ore., 3, Coeur d'Alene 2

Sunday, Aug. 4

Lake Oswego, Ore., 11, Cody, Wyo., 1

Billings 9, Coeur d'Alene 5, 7 inn.

Monday, Aug. 5

Anchorage, Alaska vs. Cody, Wyo., 9 a.m.

Billings, Mont., vs. Sammamish, Wash., 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 6

Lake Oswego, Ore., vs. Sammamish, Wash., 9 a.m.

Anchorage, Alaska, vs. Coeur d'Alene, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 7

Coeur d'Alene vs. Cody, Wyo., 9 a.m.

Billings, Mont., vs. Lake Oswego, Ore., 11 a.m.

Thursday, Aug. 8

Semifinals

Seed 2 vs. Seed 3, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)

Seed 1 vs. Seed 4, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)

Saturday

Championship

Thursday's winners, 2 p.m. (ESPN)