Twin defeats
<p>American Legion Prairie Cardinal’s Brian Howell tags out Lewiston Clarkston Titan’s Brett Martin in the fifth inning in the District AA Area A tournament championship game.</p>
<p>American Legion Prairie Cardinal’s Michael Bodak slides into second base and is tagged out by the Lewiston Clarkson Titans second baseman Tyler Gay in the eighth inning of the District AA Area A tournament championship game.</p>
<p>American Legion Prairie Cardinal’s Michael Bodak walks off the field after being tagged out at second base, ending the eighth inning. The Prairie Cardinals lost 12-9 against the Lewiston Clarkston Titans in the first game of the District AA Area A tournament championship game.</p>
POST FALLS - Showing the heart it displayed all season long, Prairie refused to give up Saturday, despite trailing 12-4 in the deciding game of the Class AA Area A American Legion baseball tournament at Post Falls High.
The Cardinals scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning and two in the seventh to slice Lewis-Clark's lead to 12-9. But the Twins answered with four runs in the bottom of the eighth on lefty-hitting Josh Moore's walkoff grand slam to give Lewis-Clark the 19-9 win in eight innings.
Both teams had already clinched berths to the state tournament, which begins Wednesday at Harris Field in Lewiston. The Cardinals (25-22), the No. 1 seed from Area A despite the loss, will play against the Boise Gems, the No. 3 seed from Area B, in the first game of the tournament.
As the host team for state, Lewis-Clark will be the No. 2 seed from Area A and will play the Mountain View Toros, the No. 2 seed from Area B.
In the other first-round matchups at state, the Twin Falls Cowboys face the Area B No. 1 seed Nampa Chiefs, and the Meridian Rangers face Idaho Falls.
The Cardinals, a solid defensive team all season, made five errors in the second championship game, after losing the first game to Lewis-Clark, 12-5. The Twins, who had to beat Prairie twice to win the district title, never trailed in either game.
"We know we can play better baseball," Prairie coach Ron Mackie said. "We didn't play clean baseball. They took advantage of our mistakes more than we took advantage of their mistakes."
Prairie was bidding for its first Area A title since 1998.
Moore's grand slam that sailed over the scoreboard in right field was his first home run of the season and it was the only grand slam this season for the Twins (25-15).
"It's a good feeling (to win districts)," Lewis-Clark coach Allen Balmer said. "We played to our potential. They (Prairie) gave a hell of an effort. Those guys never give up, which is why we told our players to keep scoring as many runs as they can."
Connor Eggleston singled off Prairie relief pitcher Brian Howell to load the bases, setting up Moore's slam.
"As soon as Connor got on, I thought 'Oooh, I have a chance to do this," Moore said. "We were ready to play today."
In Prairie's two-run seventh, James Prockish reached on an infield single on a high chopper with the bases loaded, which scored Jacob Lebsock. Treavor Hammell's fielder's choice grounder scored Jacob Koski to cut Lewis-Clark's lead to 12-9.
In the three-run sixth, the Cardinals began their comeback attempt. Hammell drove in two runs with a single, scoring Kenny Cooper and Howell. Blake Wrotenbery singled to load the bases, then Trystan Valente's groundout scored Prockish for a 12-7 lead.
Hammell went 2 for 5 with five runs batted in. Koski went 3 for 5 with two runs. Howell went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs.
"All I was doing was help us get back into it," Hammell said. "Even if we were down 40 runs, we don't quit. It was very disappointing (losing districts), you never want to lose on your field."
In the first game, Lewis-Clark scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning and took a 9-0 lead. Prairie scored three in the bottom of the seventh and two in the eighth.
Twins left-handed starting pitcher Patrick Jacobs, who the Cardinals never faced this season, lasted 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Jacobs, who played for Colfax (Wash.) High and recently signed to play for Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., struck out six and walked four.
Hammell went 2 for 5 with a two-RBI single in the seventh. Kenny Cooper came off the bench and went 2 for 2 with two runs scored.
Lewis-Clark's John Fuller went 3 for 5 with five RBIs.
FIRST GAME
Lewis-Clark 100 503 030 - 12 17 1
Prairie 000 000 320 - 5 10 1
Patrick Jacobs, Zack Ricard (7) and Jessup Scott; James Prockish, Michael Bodak (6) and Treavor Hammell. W - Jacobs. L - Prockish.
HITS: L-C - Scott, Gay 4, Blunt 2, Fuller 3, Shandrick 2, Eggleston, Moore, Martin 2, Meacham. Pra - Hammell 2, Wrotenbery 2, Strong, Cooper 2, Koski 2, Naumann. 2B - Naumann, Blunt, Eggleston, Moore. 3B - Fuller.
SECOND GAME
Prairie 002 203 20 - 9 15 5
Lewis-Clark 432 230 034 - 19 18 3
Dalton Strong, Brian Howell (4) and James Prockish; Austen Jones, Mikel Jensen (6) and Jessup Scott. W - Jones. - Strong.
HITS: Pra - Koski 3, Howell 2, Prockish 2, Hammell 2, Wrotenbery 2, Valente, Lebsock, Cooper 2. L-C - Scott 2, Gay 2, Blunt 2, Fuller 4, Shandrick 2, Eggleston 2, Moore 2, Martin, Phillips. 2B - Hammell, Gay, Blunt, Fuller 2, Shandrick. HR - Moore (1).