Lumbermen advance to state tournament for 10th straight time
Coeur d'Alene gets best of rematch with Prairie
LEWISTON - Jake Gonzales pitched a complete game Saturday as the Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen beat the Prairie Cardinals 14-4 to advance to the state AA tournament at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian starting on Wednesday.
It will be the 10th straight trip to state for Coeur d'Alene (16-28).
Later, Lewis-Clark (24-25) defeated Coeur d'Alene 11-2 in the Area A (district) tournament championship game at Harris Field.
"I thought it was awesome," Coeur d'Alene assistant coach Zach Clanton said. "It was cool to see because they could have cashed it in and got on with their summer and it was good to see them erupt offensively."
Prairie was eliminated with the loss to Coeur d'Alene.
Prairie out, St. Maries alive in Class A tourney
COEUR d'ALENE - Tony Knapp hit a two-run single to give the seventh-seeded Orofino Merchants the lead for good as they beat the third-seeded Prairie Cardinals 5-4 in nine innings of a loser-out game in the Class A Area A (district) tournament at Ramsey Park.
Michael Bodak, Brian Howell and Dalton Strong had RBI singles in the second inning for Prairie.
Later, second-seeded Lewis-Clark advanced to the championship game today at 1 p.m. with a 9-1 win against St. Maries.
Logan Chase allowed three hits over six innings, striking out six, and Dalen Romero had two doubles and two RBIs for Lewis-Clark, which clinched a trip to the state A tournament in Idaho Falls starting Thursday.
St. Maries will face Orofino at 10:30 a.m., with the winner advancing to the championship game and earning a state berth.
Earlier, Josh Walker struck out nine and drove in six runs as Orofino eliminated top-seeded Moscow 11-1. Matt Brink went 2 for 5 with two singles and two runs scored for Orofino.
CLASS AA AREA A TOURNAMENT
At Harris Field, Lewiston
Top two teams to state
Saturday
Coeur d'Alene 14, Prairie 4 (loser out, winner to state)
Lewis-Clark 11, Coeur d'Alene 2 (championship game)
CLASS A AREA A TOURNAMENT
At Ramsey Park, Coeur d'Alene
Saturday
Orofino 11, Moscow 1
Orofino 5, Prairie 4, 9 innings
Lewis-Clark 9, St. Maries 1
Sunday
Game 13 -Orofino vs. St. Maries, 10:30 a.m.
Game 14 - Lewis-Clark vs. Winner Game 13, 1 p.m. (championship game)
Game 15 - Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14, 3:30 (if necessary)