STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENTS: Bonners bounces back for third
3A
FRUITLAND — Once the Bonners Ferry Badgers broke through, the floodgates opened.
Senior Vince Bennett broke up a no-hitter with a leadoff single in the sixth inning, then the Badgers scored six runs in the seventh inning to beat the Weiser Wolverines 7-0 in the state 3A tournament third-place game at Fruitland High.
“After yesterday’s performance, it was pretty special to get this win,” said Bonners Ferry coach Tom Turpin, whose team lost to Homedale 10-2 in a semifinal game. “It was a nail-biter until the sixth inning.”
Bennett — who pitched a complete-game three-hitter in the team’s 11-1 win in the first round Thursday — struck out eight and walked two Saturday to finish the season 10-0 on the mound.
“It was a pretty phenomenal weekend and performance by him this weekend,” said Turpin of Bennett, who allowed a two-out single in the first and held Weiser hitless until the seventh inning. “Vince came back from one day’s rest and seemed like he was throwing harder today than on Thursday. It’s great to bring back a trophy. It’s a great group of kids and they’ve had a special season.”
Bonners Ferry finishes 24-3.
Bonners Ferry 001 000 6 — 7 5 1
Weiser 000 000 0 — 0 2 5
Vince Bennett and Brady Bateman; Claudio and Whitehurst. W — Bennett (10-0). L — Claudio.
HITS: BF — Bateman, Bennett 2, Blackmore, N. Sabin. Weis — Pritchard, Turrentime. 2B — Bateman, Bennett, Sabin, Turrentime.
2A
Bear Lake 8
St. Maries 4
OROFINO — The Lumberjacks dug themselves a hole they couldn’t get out of, losing to the Bears of Montpeiler in the state 2A tournament third-place game.
Dakota Wilson had two RBIs for St. Maries, which finishes 10-11.
“We only lose two seniors, so it was a good season based on the amount of growth we had,” said St. Maries coach Craig Tefft, who has led the school to state eight times in nine seasons as coach. “Some of our younger guys got a chance to see what state’s all about. I’m really proud of how the kids pulled together. It’s a good tradition we’ve started to build and it was good to see them keep working as the season went on and find a way to state.”
Max Lauridsen had two RBIs for Bear Lake (17-4).
St. Maries 020 020 0 — 4 6 2
Bear Lake 241 010 x — 8 11 2
Bryant Asbury, Drake Lounsbury (2), Derek Larsen (5), Kiefer Gibson (5) and Chase Truscott; Breven Keetch and Wyatt Anderson. W — Keetch. L — Asbury.
HITS: SM — Asbury, Lounsbury, Truscott, Gibson, Wilson, Edwards. BL — Transtram 2, Romell, Lauridsen 2, Anderson, Bloxham, Amell 2, Keetch, Roberts. 2B — Truscott, Gibson, Laridzen.