Long time coming

POST FALLS — When Trystan Valente of Prairie ripped a two-run single down the left-field line Tuesday at Post Falls High, he helped the Cardinals erase a 20-year drought and win a class AA league championship.

In the bottom of the fourth inning of an American Legion North Idaho League game against Lewis-Clark, Valente turned on an inside fastball thrown by Twins pitcher Mikel Jensen to drive home the go-ahead runs for a 7-5 lead. Prairie went on to top the Twins, 15-5, in six innings, in the first game of a doubleheader, and clinched the league title for the first time since 1994.

“It’s nice for these guys to have that opportunity in this program,” first-year Prairie coach Ron Mackie said. “They’re building things in this program, to have that kind of success.”

The big win locked up a first-round bye for Prairie in the Area A (district) tournament next week at Post Falls High. The Cardinals (20-20, 6-2 NIL), who host St. Maries on Friday, will play next Thursday in districts against the winner of next Wednesday’s game between Coeur d’Alene (16-21, 2-6) and Lewis-Clark (21-14, 4-4).

Lewis-Clark automatically qualifies for state, since it is hosting state at Harris Field in Lewiston. One other team — either Prairie or Coeur d’Alene — will advance to state, which begins on July 30.

Prairie lost the second game, 7-3.

Valente, a former Trojans baseball player, spearheaded the way on his former stomping grounds as a high school athlete, going 2 for 4 with the two runs batted in and he scored three runs.

“I was just looking to get something in the gap,” Valente said. “But something down the line will do the job, too. I got my hands out a little early and drove it down the line.”

Valente enjoyed the fact Prairie earned the No. 1 seed.

“It feels really good going into next week’s start of districts,” Valente said. “It feels good having that momentum going into the playoffs.”

The Cardinals scored six runs in the fourth, then put the first game on ice by tacking on seven more in the sixth.

Kris Jackson survived after allowing four runs in the top of the second inning, allowing one run on three hits over the final four innings of work. He allowed seven hits and struck out two.

Lewis-Clark has played several tournaments throughout parts of the country, including Oregon and Ohio, with the goal of preparing for the grind of the state tournament.

“We set our schedule to make it hard and push these guys a bit so when the state tournament rolls around, they’re ready for games at the end that are hard and their bodies are used to being a little tired,” first-year Lewis-Clark coach Allen Balmer said. “When you have five games in the state tournament, you’re tired, you’re worn out by all the emotion. So we made it hard so they’re used to tough games when they’re tired. I mean, that’s no excuse for how we played the first game.”

Prairie catcher James Prockish went 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs.

In the second game, Prairie scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, on RBI singles by Killian Estes and Michel Bodak. But the Twins tied the game in the top of the third by scoring four runs on three hits in the fourth.

FIRST GAME

Lewis-Clark 040 100 — 5 7 1

Prairie 200 607 — 15 15 2

Game called in 6th inning due to 10-run rule.

Mikel Jensen and Jessup Scott; Kris Jackson and James Prockish. W — Jackson (6-4). L — Jensen.

HITS: L-C — Scott, Moore, Eggleston, Martin, Gay 2. 2B — Prockish, Scott, Eggleston. 3B — Wrotenbery. Pra — Valente, Prockish 3, Wrotenbery 2, Jackson 2, Bruner, Hammell, Lebsock, Strong 2, Koski 2.

SECOND GAME

Lewis-Clark 021 400 0 — 7 11 1

Prairie 300 000 0 — 3 7 0

Austen Jones, Zack Richard (7) and Jessup Scott; Brian Howell, Blake Wrotenbery (5) and Treavor Hammell. W — Jones (4-1). L — Howell (1-1).

HITS: L-C — Shannon, Martin, Scott, Moore, Fuller, Eggleston, Shandrick 3, Phillips, Meacham. Pra — Estes 2, Bodak, Hammell, Bruner, Estes, Wrotenbery. 2B — Hammell. 3B — Shandrick.