Timberlake tops Bonners for district title

BONNERS FERRY — Freshman left-hander Jack McDonald, who started the year on the junior varsity, came up big in Timberlake’s biggest game of the year to date on Tuesday.

McDonald threw a 100-pitch complete game, striking out seven and scattering four hits as the No. 2 seed Tigers edged the Intermountain League champion Bonners Ferry Badgers 5-4 in the championship game of the 3A District 1 tournament.

“He has pitched phenomenal this year,” Timberlake coach Cameron Knigge said. “He faced Bonners Ferry three times, and we got ’em today in the game that counted. Jack kept them off balance, and our defense played phenomenal.”

Timberlake (7-9) advances to state May 18-20 at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore.

“Timberlake wanted it more than we did,” Bonners Ferry coach Tom Turpin said. “Jack McDonald kept us off balance ... they earned it.”

Kobe Harris, who had two hits, singled in the second for Timberlake. Bonners Ferry then walked four straight batters — eight for the game — which led to two runs for the Tigers.

Dock Sommers singled in the sixth for Timberlake, and two Badger errors helped lead to three Tiger runs.

In the bottom of the seventh, Brady Bateman singled and scored on a fielder’s choice to pull Bonners within a run. With the tying run on third, McDonald struck out the next Badger batter to end it.

Bonners Ferry (17-3) hosts Kellogg (2-11) on Thursday for the district’s second berth to state. Kellogg beat Priest River (2-14) in a loser-out game earlier Tuesday.

Timberlake 020 003 0 — 5 5 1

Bonners Ferry 102 000 1 — 4 4 2

Jack McDonald and Dustin Smith; Shayne Walker, Kevin Gray (2) and Brady Bateman.

HITS: TL — L. McDonald, Harris 2, Sommers, Stevens. BF — B. Bateman 2, Sabin, S. Bateman. 2B — B. Bateman.

Lewiston 14

Lake City 4

LEWISTON — The Lewiston Bengals scored nine runs in the first two innings went on to beat the Lake City Timberwolves 14-4 in six innings in the championship game of the 5A Region 1 baseball tournament Tuesday at Church Field.

Lewiston (18-6) advances to state May 18-20 in Boise.

Lake City (12-9) will play host to Coeur d’Alene (12-11) on Thursday at 4 p.m. in the second-place game, for a berth in a state play-in game Saturday at Lewiston. Coeur d’Alene eliminated Post Falls (13-12) 2-1.

Six Lake City pitchers combined to walk 10.

“We had some early walks, and they had a couple timely hits,” Lake City coach Paul Manzardo said. “On the bright side, we’ve got another game Thursday, so we flush that and get ready for Coeur d’Alene.”

Julian Washburn drove in four runs and Jaden Phillips knocked in three for Lewiston.

Bridger Rinaldi hit a two-run single in the sixth for Lake City, and Nathan Phillips was 2 for 2 and scored twice.

Lake City 000 022 — 4 8 3

Lewiston 360 104 — 14 10 2

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

Brett Stapleton, Kyle Manzardo (2), Grohs (4), Benji White (5), Will Mayo (6), Dominic Blanchard (6) and Conner Conigliaro, Brock Sween (4); Wyatt Baldwin, Kyle Van Boeyen (5), Luke White (6) and Jackson Fuller.

HITS: LC — N. Phillips 2, Kolden, Manzardo, Rinaldi, Compton, Cunningham, B. White. Lew — Light, L. White, J. Phillips 2, Washburn 2, Fuller 2, Powell 2. 2B — Powell.

Coeur d’Alene 2

Post Falls 1

POST FALLS — Daniel Gunnerson pitched a two-hitter over six innings, and the Vikings squeaked out a victory over the Trojans in a 5A Region 1 loser-out game.

“He threw one heck of a game,” Coeur d’Alene coach Nick Mahin said of Gunnerson, who took a no-hitter into the fifth. “He was very effective, threw strikes and got a lot of ground balls.”

Jackson Sumner had three hits, including an RBI single in the sixth which proved to be the deciding run.

Post Falls (13-12) loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Viking reliever Justin Bates got the next two batters to end the game.

“We got great pitching and defense, and timely hitting,” Mahin said. “These guys are grinders; they’re really figuring out how to grind it out.”

Coeur d’Alene (12-11) plays at Lake City on Thursday for second place and a berth in a state play-in game Saturday.

Coeur d’Alene 000 101 0 — 2 9 1

Post Falls 000 001 0 — 1 5 1

Daniel Gunnerson, Justin Bates (7) and Kallen Langley; Jake Pfennigs and Nate Buer.

HITS: Cd’A — Mayfield 2, C. Luckey, T. Luckey, Sumner 3, Langley. PF — Buer, Gosney, McCliment-Call, McKeown 2. 2B — C. Luckey.

Sandpoint 5

Moscow 3

SANDPOINT — The host Bulldogs (9-8) edged the No. 3 seed Bears (4-11) in the loser-out first round of the 4A Region 1 tournament.

No. 2 seed Sandpoint plays at No. 1 Lakeland (10-8) today at 4 p.m. in the championship game for the region’s lone berth to state next week. The game was moved up from Thursday due to concerns over that day’s weather forecast.