Coeur d'Alene completes 12-0 run through 5A IEL
LOREN BENOIT/Press Coeur d’Alene’s Quinton Bunch scores a run before Post Falls catcher Derek Pearse can corral the throw during the first game in a doubleheader Tuesday at Post Falls High School.
Coeur d’Alene pitcher Zach Mackimmie celebrates a game ending strikeout to seal the Viking’s 4-2 win over Post Falls in the first game of their doubleheader on Tuesday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Coeur d’Alene’s Carter Friesz slides into third base before Jake Rutherford, of Post Falls, applies the tag. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Austin Higgins of Post Falls scores a run in the first game of a doubleheader against Coeur d’Alene. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Coeur d’Alene second baseman Jake Brown throws to first base for the out in the first game of a doubleheader against Post Falls. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Post Falls Trojan Tyson Rutherford delivers a pitch in the first game of a doubleheader against Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Post Falls head coach Mick Zeller, pitcher Tyson Rutherford and catcher Derek Pearse talk strategy during a stop in play in the first game of a doubleheader against Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Coeur d’Alene’s Jake Brown makes contact on a pitch in the first game of a doubleheader against Post Falls on Tuesday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Austin Higgins of Post Falls takes a lead of first base in a game against Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Cole Rutherford of Post Falls delivers a pitch in the first game of a doubleheader against Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Coeur d’Alene’s Brady Thompson (27) and Cody Davenport (14) celebrate a late inning score in the first game of a doubleheader against Post Falls on Tuesday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
POST FALLS — Zach Mackimmie and Alex Karns did their job on the mound, and Coeur d’Alene got timely hitting late in both games to sweep Post Falls 4-2 and 5-1 on Tuesday to wrap up a perfect 12-0 run through the 5A Inland Empire League.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to these guys,” Coeur d’Alene coach Nick Mahin said of his squad going unbeaten in league.
In the opener, Mackimmie (7-0) struck out five and scattered six hits in a complete game for the Vikings (20-1, 12-0 5A IEL). Quinton Bunch went 2 for 4 and scored twice, and Cody Davenport hit a two-run single to put Coeur d’Alene ahead 3-2 in the sixth.
Spencer Zeller had two hits for Post Falls (5-13, 2-10).
In the second game, Karns and David Kraak teamed to scatter six hits for Coeur d’Alene.
“We really pitched the ball well today,” Mahin said. “Zach had a great outing; got into trouble a little bit, but he got the strikeout he needed, or the ground ball he needed. And Alex Karns, he was a sophomore that acted like a senior.”
Bunch and Devon Johnson had RBI singles, Davenport a sacrifice fly in a three-run seventh that broke it open.
Jacob Burton had two hits for Post Falls.
“Baseball’s a game of cycles, espeically in a short season like up here,” Mahin said. “Sometimes you have to rely on the bats, and sometimes you have to rely on the arms.”
Coeur d’Alene is idle until playing host to Post Falls next Monday at 4 p.m. in the first round of the 5A Region 1 tournament. Post Falls plays host to Sandpoint on Thursday to wrap up its regular season.
FIRST GAME
Coeur d’Alene 000 103 0 — 4 7 0
Post Falls 100 010 0 — 2 6 1
Zach Mackimmie and Carter Friesz; Tyson Rutherford, Cole Rutherford (7) and Derek Pearse.
HITS: Cd’A — Mayfield, Friesz, Bunch 2, Davenport, Johnson, Rowley. PF — C. Rutherford, Zeller 2, Cripps, J. Rutherford, Pearse. 2B — Bunch, Mayfield, Pearse, Zeller.
SECOND GAME
Coeur d’Alene 020 000 3 — 5 5 0
Post Falls 010 000 0 — 1 6 2
Alex Karns, David Kraak (6) and Carter Friesz; Austin Higgins, Kaden Cripps (7) and unknown, Jacob Burton (3).
HITS: Cd’A — Brown, Bunch, Johnson 2, Karns. PF — C. Rutherford, Cripps, Burton 2, Misita, T. Rutherford. 2B — Johnson, Cripps.
Lakeland 4-8
Moscow 3-3
MOSCOW — Jaret Taylor drove in four runs in the first game for the Hawks, who swept the Bears in a 4A Inland Empire League play to clinch the league title, earning the right to host the 4A Region 1 tournament at Gorton Field.
“I am extremely proud of my team for winning the league title tonight,” Lakeland coach Jason Bradbury said. “Both games we played were complete team wins. Everyone contributed up and down the lineup and in all phases of the game. I’m so happy for them and my coaching staff. We’ve worked really hard and have come along way from where we started the season. It’s good to see all the hard work paying off.”
Colton Aragon had a three-run double in the second game for Lakeland (8-9-2, 6-2 4A IEL), which hosts Timberlake on Thursday to conclude the regular season.
Moscow is 8-9, 4-4.
FIRST GAME
Lakeland 000 020 2 — 4 4 2
Moscow 000 000 3 — 3 5 2
Justin Dennison, Scott Pote (7) and Colton Aragon; Waters, Vis and Wilson. W — Dennison. L — Waters. S — Pote.
HITS: LL — Taylor 2, Bell, Dennison. Mos — Redinger, Adams, Gray, Thompson, Abendroth. 2B — Gray. 3B — Taylor.
SECOND GAME
Lakeland 000 341 0 — 8 6 3
Moscow 200 001 0 — 3 3 4
Cameron Harris, Scott Pote (7) and Colton Aragon; Thompson and unknown. W — Harris. L — Thompson.
HITS: LL — Taylor, Bell, Silva 2, Aragon, Clift. Mos — Redinger, Abendroth, Anderson. 2B — Aragon, Clift, Taylor.
Timberlake 14-14
Priest River 3-1
PRIEST RIVER — Kobe Harris struck out nine in the opener, and Alex Drake fanned six and pitched a two-hitter in the nightcap as the visiting Tigers (14-7-1, 12-0) completed an unbeaten run through the Intermountain League with the sweep of the Spartans at Priest River Junior High.
“Kobe, I gave him the ball in Game 1 and said ‘You’re the senior, go out and do your job,’ and he did,” Timberlake coach Cameron Knigge said. “Alex went out and did the same thing. Both had good command of the zone today.”
Timberlake trailed Priest River (3-9, 3-7) 2-1 after three innings of the opener, before erupting for 11 runs in the top of the fourth. Harris, who finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs, tied it at 2 with an RBI double. Jacob James, who finished with four RBIs, doubled home two runs to break the tie. Harris and James each added two-run doubles later in the inning.
In the second game, Gage Benefield hit a two-run double and Addison Balavage hit a two-run single in the fourth to break the game open. James drove in another four runs, Louis Powell went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs, and Harris was 2 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs.
“We had good defense today, especially in the second game,” Knigge said. “I was much happier with our defense than I’ve been in recent games.”
Timberlake wraps up the regular season Thursday at Lakeland.
FIRST GAME
Timberlake 001 (11)2 — 14 12 2
Priest River 002 01 — 3 4 5
Game called after 5 innings due to 10-run rule.
Kobe Harris and Louis Powell; Jantzen Lucas, Jordon Best (4), Cole Thompson (5) and Brendan Reeves.
HITS: TL — McDonald, Harris 3, Powell, Knerr, James 2, Drake, Benefield 2, Jerome. PR — Hannah, Allbee 2, Moran. 2B — Benefield, Harris 2, James 2, McDonald.
SECOND GAME
Timberlake 220 424 — 14 13 2
Priest River 001 000 — 1 2 4
Game called after 6 innings due to 10-run rule.
Alex Drake and Zac Larsen, Caleb Knight (6); Konner Johnson, Everett Hannah (5) and Brendan Reeves.
HITS: TL — McDonald 2, Harris 2, Powell 3, James 2, Benefield, Knerr, Drake, Balavage. PR — Hannah, Allbee. 2B — Benefield, Hannah.