Lums, Northern Lakes to play for state bid
COEUR d’ALENE — Quinn Conces scored Jackson Scherr with the go-ahead run on a squeeze bunt with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning to send the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen past the Prairie Cardinals 6-5 in the semifinal game of the Class AA Area A (district) tournament at Thorco Field on Saturday.
With the win, Coeur d’Alene (30-15-1) advances to today’s championship game at 1 p.m., where the Lumbermen will face the Northern Lakes Mountaineers (16-29). Earlier on Saturday, Northern Lakes eliminated Lewis-Clark 8-4, then the Mountaineers knocked out Prairie 3-2 in Saturday’s late game. Prairie finishes 12-22-1.
“At the end of the day, it was a great team win,” Coeur d’Alene coach Erik Karns said. “To be able to answer back in the third and fifth inning was great to see. David (Kraak, who struck out four and walked two) threw another gem and did a great job on the mound. Our guys competed and just kept after it.”
The Area A champion advances to the state tournament starting Friday at Harris Field in Lewiston.
As the host team for state, Lewis-Clark (22-19) was already assured a berth to state.
Coeur d’Alene 6, Prairie 5: Prairie built a 5-3 lead on an RBI double by Zach Clark in the fifth inning, but Alex Karns tied it at 5 with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth for Coeur d’Alene.
Matt Fleming struck out four in six innings for Prairie.
“Matt threw a great game and was tough again after seeing him on Tuesday,” Karns said. “To do what we did offensively, it says a lot about where we’re at right now.”
Tanner McCliment-Call drove in two runs for Prairie against Coeur d’Alene.
Alex Karns finished with three RBIs for Coeur d’Alene.
COEUR d’ALENE 6, PRAIRIE 5
Prairie 002 210 0 — 5 8 2
Cd’A 012 021 x — 6 9 1
Matt Fleming and Zach Clark; David Kraak and Landen Thompson. W — Kraak. L — Fleming.
HITS: Pra — B. Zeller, S. Zeller, McCliment-Call, Fleming, Reid 2, Clark, Davidson. Cd’A — Conces 2, Manzardo, Thompson, Karns, Coppess, Scherr 2, Brum. 2B — McCliment-Call, Clark, Davidson, Conces, Karns, Scherr.
Northern Lakes 3, Prairie 2: Scott Tierney scored the go-ahead run on an error in the fifth inning as the Mountaineers beat the Cardinals in a loser-out game.
Scott Pote allowed five hits and struck out three in the win for Northern Lakes.
McCliment-Call doubled to score Brock Zeller in the third inning for Prairie.
NORTHERN LAKES 3, PRAIRIE 2
N. Lakes 001 020 0 — 3 9 0
Prairie 011 000 0 — 2 5 2
Scott Pote and Nicholas Welch; Nick Chase and Zach Clark. W — Pote. L — Chase.
HITS: NL — Tierney 2, Pote, Strietzel, Drake 2, Harris. Pra — B. Zeller, McCliment-Call 2, Reid, Chase. 2B — McCliment-Call. 3B — Chase.
Northern Lakes 8, Lewis-Clark 4: Scott Pote scored two runs for the Mountaineers, who took advantage of 10 errors by the Twins in a loser-out game.
Sean Tierney and Trevor Vandever had RBIs for Northern Lakes.
NORTHERN LAKES 8, LEWIS-CLARK 4
North. Lakes 020 302 1 — 8 3 1
Lewis-Clark 011 110 0 — 4 7 10
Cam Harris, Alex Drake (5) and Nicholas Welch; Bill Alspach, Mason Daniel (4) and Dalton Hart. W — Harris. L — Alspach.
HITS: NL — Welch, T. Vandever, Drake. L-C — Daniel, Wallace 2, Bonfield, Acree 2, Barajas. 2B — Bonfield, Wallace.