Lake City captures 5A IEL title
COEUR d’ALENE — One was all the Lake City Timberwolves needed on senior day Tuesday.
Kodie Kolden struck out seven and Kyle Manzardo and Bennett Cunningham each drove in a pair of runs as Lake City clinched the 5A Inland Empire League baseball title with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Coeur d’Alene Vikings in the first game of a doubleheader.
It was Lake City’s first league title since 2004.
“Today we kinda grinded it out,” said Lake City coach Paul Manzardo, whose team won five straight league games after a 3-3 start. “We had some good at-bats when we needed them, and executed when we needed.
“I’m always confident giving the ball to Kodie,” Manzardo added. “He’s pitched in numerous big games from Little League on up. It’s no secret what he’s going to do.”
Coeur d’Alene won the second game 11-7.
In the first game, Cunningham hit a two-run single in the third inning to put Lake City (17-4, 8-4 5A IEL) ahead to stay at 2-1. Manzardo, who went 3 for 3, drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and hit an RBI double in the sixth.
Michael Dooley’s RBI double in the first gave Coeur d’Alene the early lead.
In the second game, Jayce Bailey hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh, finished 3 for 5 with three runs scored, and earned the save on the mound for Coeur d’Alene (12-9, 6-6). Noah Mayfield went 3 for 4 with a double and triple, drove in two runs and scored twice for the Vikings, and Levi Haen was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs.
“We had a lot of opportunities in the first game, we just couldn’t cash in,” Coeur d’Alene coach Nick Mahin said. “The second game, we kept plugging away. The guys did a good job bearing down and getting it done.”
Elijah Samaha went 2 for 2 and scored three runs for Lake City, and Manzardo was 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
Lake City will host fourth seed Lewiston on Monday at 4 p.m. in the first round of the 5A Region 1 tournament.
Coeur d’Alene closes out the regular season Thursday at home vs. Moscow.
FIRST GAME
Coeur d’Alene 100 000 0 — 1 7 0
Lake City 002 101 x — 4 6 1
Justin Bates and Carter Friesz; Kodie Kolden and Conner Conigliaro. W — Kolden (5-1). L — Bates.
HITS: Cd’A — Bailey, Mayfield, Dooley, Thompson, Bunch, Alley, Johnson. LC — Manzardo 3, Cunningham, Gay, Brum. 2B — Bunch, Mayfield, Dooley, Manzardo.
SECOND GAME
Coeur d’Alene 400 113 2 — 11 14 0
Lake City 400 010 2 — 7 9 0
Cody Davenport, Jayce Bailey (7) and Carter Friesz; William Mayo, Brandon Gay (6), Zach Sensel (6) and Brock Sween. W — Davenport. L — Mayo (4-1). S — Bailey.
HITS: Cd’A — Bailey 3, Mayfield 3, Haen 2, Thompson 2, Bunch, Alley, Friesz, Johnson. LC — Samaha 2, Manzardo 2, Rinaldi, Sensel 2, White, Brum. 2B — Bailey, Mayfield, Alley, Samaha. 3B — Mayfield. HR — Bailey.
Post Falls 12-7
Lewiston 11-5
LEWISTON — The visiting Trojans wrapped up the No. 2 seed to regionals with the sweep of the Bengals at Church Field.
In the first game, Chase Cripps drove in Matt Vasquez with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Nate Buer had three hits and Matt Fleming scored three runs. Quin Bennett got the win in relief.
In the second game, Buer had three hits and Cripps scored three runs.
Austin Higgins got the win; Jake Pfennigs came on in the seventh for the save.
“Great team baseball today,” Post Falls coach Mick Zeller said. “Everyone contributed. We executed when we needed to. Extremely proud of these guys battling through some adversity. We grew as a team today.”
Complete box scores were unavailable.
On Monday at 4 p.m., Post Falls will play host to No. 3 Coeur d’Alene, and No. 4 Lewiston will travel to No. 1 Lake City. The winners play Tuesday for the regional title and a berth to state.
Moscow 9-8
Lakeland 8-7
MOSCOW — The visiting Hawks came up short on a pair of walk-off hits to the Bears in a 4A Inland Empire League twinbill.
Colton Aragon and Braden Gifford had three RBIs each in the second game for Lakeland (9-12, 1-5), which travels to Sandpoint for a doubleheader on Friday.
Moscow is 5-3 in league.
FIRST GAME
Lakeland 040 010 102 — 8 11 5
Moscow 100 202 103 — 9 12 1
One out when winning run scored.
Max Baker, Tyler Clift (5) and unknown; Broeneke, Gottschalk (7), C. Vis (9) and unknown. W — Vis. L — Bradbury.
HITS: LL — Baker, Bradbury, Gifford 3, Aragon 2, Moen, Taylor, Siegford, Hegbloom. Mos — Gray, Adams 2, Thompson, Gottschalk, B. Vis 2, Waters, C. Vis 2, Decker, Dunn. 2B — Baker, Bradbury, Gifford. 3B — C. Vis.
SECOND GAME
Lakeland 001 024 0 — 7 12 3
Moscow 030 111 2 — 8 11 2
Dylan Bradbury, Ezra Grigg (5), Joe Dennison (6), Braeden Gifford (7) and unknown; Dunn, Waters (5), Gray (7) and unknown. W — Gray. L — Gifford.
HITS: LL — Clift 2, Bradbury 2, Aragon 3, Moen, Dennison 2. Mos — Adams, Gottschalk, B. Vis, C. Vis 2, Dunn 2, Redinger, Broeneke, Decker 2. 2B — Gifford, Aragon, C. Vis.
Bonners Ferry 7
Timberlake 7, susp.
SPIRIT LAKE — The Intermountain League-deciding game was suspended after seven innings due to darkness after seven innings between the Badgers and host Tigers.
The winner clinches the league title and will host next week’s 3A District 1 tournament.
Tuesday’s game, scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., was delayed an hour and a half due to a rain storm, and began at 5:30. Timberlake’s field does not have lights and before the teams could start the eighth inning, it was determined to be too dark to continue by the umpires.
The game will resume with the top of the eighth inning today at 4 p.m.
St. Maries 16
Kendrick 0
ST. MARIES — After being swept by Grangeville on Saturday, 12-2 and 16-1 in Central Idaho League play, the Lumberjacks bounced back and blanked the Tigers in nonleague play at City Park.
Ethan Hill, Cade Truscott and Michaell Bassett teamed on a two-hit shutout for St. Maries (7-5), combining for eight strikeouts with no walks.
Hill and Jacob Hills each drove in a pair of runs. Kendrick pitchers walked 11, and the Tigers committed six errors.
St. Maries plays host to Kellogg on Thursday.
Kendrick 000 00 — 0 2 6
St. Maries 628 0x — 16 8 2
Game called in 5th inning due to 10-run rule.
Parker Johnston, Olav Stanton (1), J. Clemenhagen (1), Skyler Frazier (3), Javion Goldsberry (4), C. Cannon (4) and M. Fletcher, P. Johnston (2), E. Frazier (4); Ethan Hill, Cade Truscott (3), Michael Bassett (5) and Truscott, Hill (3). W — Hill. L — Johnston.
HITS: Ken — Fletcher, Stanton. SM — Villa, Hammond, Truscott, Boag, Sans, Hill, Bassett, Warnken.