Rocky tops Vikings in opener

5A

BOISE — Jackson Sumner gave up just three hits and drove in a run for Coeur d’Alene in its state 5A baseball opener vs. Rocky Mountain of Meridian at Borah High’s Wigle Field.

Problem was, the Vikings managed just three hits and the one run in a 3-1 loss Thursday night.

Rocky junior lefthander Ethan Christianson struck out nine as the Grizzlies (20-5) advanced to a semifinal game vs. Bonneville (22-7) of Idaho Falls.

“Sumner had a great game; it was a good old-fashioned pitchers duel,” second-year Coeur d’Alene coach Nick Mahin said.

Coeur d’Alene (15-11), at state for the first time since 2014, will play Columbia (11-17) of Nampa today at 4 at Capital High in Boise in a loser-out game.

An error on the Vikings on a ground ball allows Rocky’s first run to score in the second. In the third, with runners at first and second, Kaden Hollow doubled to left center field — Coeur d’Alene center fielder Jayce Bailey just missed a diving catch. A run scored, and the Vikings had the second runner caught in a rundown, but threw the ball away and he scored.

In the Coeur d’Alene sixth, Devon Johnson walked, Noah Mayfield singled and Sumner singled in a run. The Vikings had runners at first and third, “and we couldn’t get one more big hit,” Mahin said.

“We got the pitching, and the timely hitting didn’t happen, and we didn’t make the routine play,” Mahin said.

Coeur d’Alene swept Rocky Mountain 5-4 and 3-2 in a doubleheader in Lewiston in March.

Coeur d’Alene 000 001 0 — 1 3 3

Rocky Mtn. 012 000 x — 3 3 0

Jackson Sumner and unknown; Ethan Christianson and unknown.

HITS: Cd’A — Mayfield, Sumner, Bunch. Rocky — Hollow 2, Lewis. 2B — Hollow.

4A

Skyline 16

Lakeland 10

BOISE — The Grizzlies of Idaho Falls broke a tie with six runs in the top of the seventh and beat the Hawks in the first round of the state 4A tournament at Bishop Kelly High.

Lakeland (11-9) plays Middleton (17-10) today at noon PDT in a loser-out game.

No other information was available.

3A

Sugar-Salem 6

Timberlake 0

ONTARIO, Ore. — McCall Small struck out nine as the Diggers (20-4) beat the Tigers in the first round of the state 3A tournament at Treasure Valley Community College.

Timberlake (7-10) plays Marsh Valley (16-8) today at noon in a loser-out game.

Bonners Ferry 10

Teton 1

ONTARIO, Ore. — Nick Sabin’s two-run double sparked a nine-run sixth inning as the Badgers pulled away from the Redskins in the first round of the state 3A baseball tournament at Treasure Valley Community College.

Jesse Dunham struck out eight and scattered five hits over six-plus innings for Bonners Ferry (19-3), which plays Payette (16-11) in the semifinals today at 3.

Teton 000 100 0 — 1 5 0

Bonners Ferry 000 019 x — 10 9 1

Bleggi, relievers unavailable and Villa; Jesse Dunham, Brady Bateman (7) and Kevin Gray. W — Dunham (6-0).

HITS: Tet — Villa, Wilhite, Harding, Riley, Bleggi. BF — B. Bateman 2, C. Sabin 2, N. Sabin, Dunham, S. Bateman, Gray 2. 2B — Wilhite, B. Bateman, N. Sabin, Gray.