Lumbermen, Twins split AA doubleheader

COEUR d'ALENE - For the most part, Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen starting pitcher Dominic Conigliaro pitched well Wednesday, in the second game of an American Legion AA North Idaho League baseball doubleheader at Thorco Field.

Unfortunately for the Lums, so did Lewis-Clark Twins starter Mikel Jensen.

Conigliaro allowed three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings, scattering 10 hits, in Coeur d'Alene's 5-1 loss. He struck out three and walked none.

Jonny Plum scored the only run for the Lums (11-19, 2-6 NIL), crossing home plate in the bottom of the first inning.

Coeur d'Alene won the first game, 5-4, as Elliott Sparks drove in Reggie Nault on a sacrifice fly to top the Twins (16-11, 3-3). The Lums are struggling three weeks before the District AA Area A tournament, set for July 24-27 at Post Falls High. Coeur d'Alene starting pitcher Connor Cardinel struck out 10 and allowed seven hits to earn the win.

"We'll probably end up being the No. 3 seed," Coeur d'Alene coach Zach Clanton said. "We'd rather get our teeth into it, scratch and claw, play like we've got nothing to lose."

Jensen threw a complete game, allowing one run on six hits, striking out two and walking three.

"Mikel threw a hell of a game," Lewis-Clark coach Allen Balmer said. "He can sink it and our defense played well behind him. I think our hitters took a different approach in the second game. We stayed more to the middle of the field."

Conigliaro, who threw two innings on Tuesday at a baseball showcase in the Tri-Cities, mixed in his breaking ball with his fastball.

But in the top of the seventh, the wheels fell off a bit, as Lewis-Clark scored three runs. DePaul Blunt hit an RBI single, scoring Patrick Jacobs for a 3-1 lead. Colby Kennedy came on in relief with the bases loaded, and an error scored John Fuller, before Josh Moore's RBI single completed the scoring.

"For the most part, I felt great," Conigliaro said. "I left balls over the middle of the plate and they drove them."

Coeur d'Alene plays at 6 p.m. tonight at Thorco Field against Gallitin Valley of Manhatten, Mont., and INBA Padres, a men's team from Spokane at 8 in the Fourth of July Wood Bat Classic.

FIRST GAME

Lewis-Clark 200 110 0 - 4 7 1

Coeur d'Alene 020 201 x - 5 6 2

Kade Woods and Austen Jones; Connor Cardinel and Colton Gray. W - Cardinel. L - Woods.

HITS: L-C - Gay 2, Fuller, Eggleston 2, Jones, Meacham. Cd'A - Plum, Nault, Conigliaro 2, Sparks, Eggleston. 2B - Eggleston.

SECOND GAME

Lewis-Clark 101 000 3 - 5 11 0

Coeur d'Alene 100 000 0 - 1 6 4

Mikel Jensen and Austen Jones; Dominic Conigliaro, Colby Kennedy (7) and Colton Gray. W - Jensen. L - Conigliaro.

HITS: L-C - Blunt, Fuller 4, Eggleston, Moore 3, Jones, Jacobs. Cd'A - Plum 2, Kluss 2, Kennedy, Nault. 2B - Kluss, Fuller.