Frosh propels Vikings to state

LEWISTON — Freshman Devon Johnson’s two-run single sparked a seven-run fifth inning that broke a scoreless tie, and the Coeur d’Alene Vikings went on to beat the Mountain View Mavericks of Meridian 8-3 in a state 5A baseball play-in game Saturday at Church Field.

Coeur d’Alene (15-10) qualified for state for the first time since 2014. The Vikings will open vs. Rocky Mountain (19-5) of Meridian on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. PDT at Borah High’s Wigle Field.

Kallen Langley and Quinton Bunch opened the fifth with singles for Coeur d’Alene. Caleb Beggerly bunted and the Mavs threw the ball away, scoring a run.

Johnson, called up from the junior varsity for the regional tournaemnt “mainly for defensive purposes,” said Viking coach Nick Mahin, lined a full-count, two-run single to left center to score two runs.

“That really fired the guys up, seeing a guy that just got called up get a big hit,” Mahin said.

Langley, who started the uprising, capped the inning with a two-run single.

Coeur d’Alene, which has seen a steady stream of hard throwers during the season broke through after being blanked the first four innings by Mountain View’s Charles Allant.

“He was one of those soft lefties, and we had to make the adjustment,” Mahin said.

Mountain View finished 18-12.

Mountain View 000 003 0 — 3 5 2

Coeur d’Alene 000 071 x — 8 9 3

W — Jackson Sumner. L — Charles Allandt.

HITS: MV — Smith, Allandt 2, Mills, Sharts. Cd’A — C. Luckey, Sumner 2, T. Luckey, Langley 2, Bunch, Beggerly, Johnson. 2B — Sumner, Beggerly.

Nampa Christian 11

St. Maries 8

OROFINO — The Lumberjacks nearly pulled off a comeback for the ages, before falling to the Trojans in a state 2A baseball play-in game.

St. Maries (9-7) trailed 11-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh. The ’Jacks scored four times on bases-loaded walks, Anthony McKuin hit an RBI single, and Bryant Asbury’s 1-out sacrifice fly pulled St. Maries within three runs.

With the bases loaded, the next batter popped out to end it.

Nampa Christian (16-9) advances to state, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday at Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls.

Asbury was 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs, including a solo homer in the fifth.

N. Christian 402 310 1 — 11 9 1

St. Maries 001 010 6 — 8 7 5

Tuttle, L. Tuttle (7), McConnell (7) and Felix; Kiefer Gibson, Bryant Asbury (3) and Cade Truscott.

HITS: NC — Tuttle, Ihli, McConnell 2, L. Tuttle 2, Williams, Benner, Wollman. SM — Villa 2, Asbury 2, Truscott, McKuin, Hammond. 2B — Tuttle, L. Tuttle 2, Asbury. HR — Asbury.