Cardinal ups and downs

- AA

POST FALLS — The Prairie Cardinals opened the Class AA Area A (district) American Legion baseball tournament with a resounding 9-2 victory over the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen on Thursday at Post Falls High.

But to make it to state, the Cardinals will have to beat the Lums again today.

That’s because, after beating the second-seeded Lums, third-seeded Prairie lost 20-0 in seven innings to top-seeded Lewis-Clark on Thursday night.

Lewis-Clark (31-9) earned a berth to state next week in Twin Falls with the win.

Prairie (13-18) will play Coeur d’Alene (13-21) today at 2 p.m., with the winner earning a berth to state. The winner will play Lewis-Clark at 5 p.m. for the district title and state seeding. If Lewis-Clark loses, a second title game will be played Saturday at 10 a.m.

Prairie 9, Coeur d’Alene 2: Jared Porter went 2 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored for the Cardinals. With the Lums leading 2-1, he hit a three-run double in the top of the third inning to put Prairie ahead to stay. He scored on a double by Corbin Buck.

Porter also had an RBI single in the fourth.

Preston Benson went 3 for 6 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

“We played well in the first game,” Prairie coach Pat Call said. “Jake (Elliott) threw a lot of strikes and we made plays. We just got a ton of hits and scored runs. Just one big inning, but we just kept putting up one here and one there. We had three guys with three hits and one with 2 hits that was very helpful in the win.

Brady Thompson’s double in the second inning scored Brett Stapleton, who had singled, to put Coeur d’Alene ahead 2-1.

Lewis-Clark 20, Prairie 0, 7 inn.: The Cardinals mustered just one hit and committed six errors against the Twins.

Julian Washburn struck out 13 for Lewis-Clark.

“We made a ton of errors and didn’t put the ball in play,” Call said. “(Prairie starter Jared) Porter needed some help and we dropped the ball. Washburn was tough; he flat-out kicked our butt.”

PRAIRIE 9, COEUR d’ALENE 2

Prairie 014 102 100 — 9 13 2

Cd’A 110 000 000 — 2 8 3

Jacob Elliott, Brock Zeller (9) and Seth Villanpando; Cody Davenport, Tanner Mueller (7) and Conner Conigliaro. W — Elliott. L — Davenport.

HITS: Pra — McCliment-Call 3, Benson 3, Zeller, Porter 3, Buck, Villanpando 2. Cd’A — Gjevre, Haen 2, Keesee, Stapleton, Thompson 2, Cunningham. 2B — Porter, Buck, Villanpando, Thompson, Cunningham.

LEWIS-CLARK 20, PRAIRIE 0

Prairie 000 000 0 — 0 1 6

L-C 323 327 x — 20 21 0

Game called in 7th inning due to 10-run rule.

Porter, Zeller, Villanpando; Washburn and Adkinson.

HITS: Pra — Villanpando. L-C — Way 2, Light 3, Davis 3, White 2, Phillips, Adkinson 4, Robinson 4, Olson 2. 2B — Light, Davis, White, Adkinson, Robinson 2. 3B — Robinson.

CLASS AA AREA A

(district) TOURNAMENT

at Post Falls High

Thursday

Prairie 9, Coeur d’Alene 2

Lewis-Clark 20, Prairie 0, 7 inn.

Friday

Game 3 — Prairie (13-18) vs. Coeur d’Alene (13-21), 2 p.m. (winner to state, loser out)

Game 4 — Lewis-Clark (31-9) vs. Winner Game 3, 5

Saturday

Game 5 — Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 4, 10 a.m. (if necessary)

- AA

Class A district

tourney underway

at Thorco

COEUR d’ALENE — Top-seeded Northern Lakes (26-19) will face fifth-seeded Orofino today at 9 a.m. in its opening game of the Class A Area A (district) tournament at Thorco Field.

Orofino beat fourth seed Lewis-Clark 8-7 in the tourney opener on Thursday. The game started some two hours late because the L-C bus broke down going up the Lewiston grade.

In Thursday’s second game, No. 6 seed Moscow beat No. 3 Sandpoint 7-5.

In Thursday’s late game, which ended as The Press went to Press, No. 2 seed Coeur d’Alene (40-11) defeated No. 7 St. Maries 15-3 in five innings.

CLASS A AREA A TOURNAMENT

At Thorco Field

Thursday

Orofino 8, Lewis-Clark 7

Moscow 7, Sandpoint 5

Coeur d’Alene 15, St. Maries 3, 5 inn.

Friday

Game 4 — No. 1 Northern Lakes (26-19) vs. Orofino, 9 a.m.

Game 5 — Moscow vs. Coeur d’Alene (40-11), 11:30 a.m.

Game 6 — Sandpoint vs. St. Maries, 2 p.m.

Game 7 — Lewis-Clark vs. Loser Game 5, 4:30 p.m.

Game 8 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 6, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 — Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 2 p.m.

Game 10 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4:30 p.m.

Game 11 — Loser Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 7 p.m.

Sunday

Game 12 — Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, noon (championship game)

Game 13 — If-necessary title game, 2:30 p.m.