PREP BASEBALL: Miller, defense key in IEL-leading sweep by Post Falls

POST FALLS — Tyson Rutherford scattered two hits and struck out seven over six innings in the opener, and Ethan Miller closed out the first game and saved the second as the Inland Empire League-leading Post Falls Trojans swept the Lake City Timberwolves 4-0 and 5-3 on Tuesday.

Kaden Cripps singled in a pair of runs in a three-run first inning in the opener for Post Falls (17-4-1, 14-2 IEL). Miller pitched a scoreless seventh in the opener, and struck out 4 in 2 ⅔ innings in the second game.

“He throws strikes, which is all you can ask for in any pitcher,” Post Falls coach Mick Zeller said of Miller, who usually starts one of the games on Saturday. Because last Saturday’s games were moved up to Friday, he was able to come back in relief on Tuesday.

“He wouldn’t have been eligible today if we had played Saturday (due to his pitch count),” Zeller said. “He’s been our most consistent overall pitcher.”

Zeller also noted the Trojans turned three double plays.

Austin Taylor had two hits in the second game for Lake City (3-14, 3-14).

“I know they’re struggling, but they’re scrappy,” Zeller said of Lake City. “They threw well, played pretty good defense, and got some timely hits.”

Post Falls closes the regular season next Tuesday with a doubleheader at second-place Lewiston, where the league title could possibly be on the line.

FIRST GAME

Lake City 000 000 0 — 0 2 1

Post Falls 301 000 x — 4 8 2

Camdyn Martindale, Dylan Hess (3) and Ethan Taylor; Tyson Rutherford, Ethan Miller (7) and Zach Clark.

HITS: LC — Coppess, LaPonsey. PF — Zeller, C. Rutherford, Sharples, Cripps 2, Chase 2, Clark. 2B — Coppess, C. Rutherford, Sharples.

SECOND GAME

Lake City 101 010 0 — 3 6 2

Post Falls 122 000 x — 5 7 1

AJ Currie, Nate Weatherhead (3) and Ethan Taylor; CD Sharples, Timmy Bastedo (4), Ethan Miller (5) and Zach Clark.

HITS: LC — A. Taylor 2, Bumbaugh, Manzardo, Martindale, LaPonsey. PF — Zeller, C. Rutherford 2, Cripps, Chase, Miller, Winters. 2B — Miller.

Timberlake 12-13

Priest River 1-2

SPIRIT LAKE — Grant Allaway drove in four runs in the opener, and Kenny Wells doubled and knocked in four in the nightcap, as the Tigers swept the visiting Spartans in Intermountain League play.

Jacob Hessing scattered three hits in the opener for Timberlake (8-5, 6-2 IML), and Andrew Horn went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Caden Robinett was 2 for 2 with a double and scored three runs.

Colton Brooks had two hits in the second game for Priest River (0-14, 0-8).

Timberlake is scheduled to play host to Lakeland today at 4.

FIRST GAME

Priest River 001 00 — 1 3 4

Timberlake 450 21 — 12 10 2

Game called in 5th inning due to 10-run rule.

Tyson Brooks, Coby Rogers (4) and Tyson Trouett; Jacob Hessing and Caleb Knight.

HITS: PR — Hannah, T. Brooks, Thompson. TL — Drake 2, Hessing, Robinett 2, Borges, Horn 2, Allaway 2. 2B — Robinett.

SECOND GAME

Priest River 110 00 — 2 6 4

Timberlake 401 8x — 13 8 1

Game called in fifth inning due to 10-run rule.

Nadin Thompson, Coby Rogers (4) and N/A; Andrew Horn and Caleb Knight.

HITS: PR — Hannah, Rogers, C. Brooks 2, Reynolds, Doster. TL — Knight 2, Hessing, Borges 2, Allaway, Wells, Lenz. 2B — Rogers, Knight, Wells.

Sandpoint 11-11

St. Maries 0-3

SANDPOINT — Bulldog senior Mike Riley had four hits and six RBIs on the day for the Bulldogs, who swept the Lumberjacks in nonleague play at Memorial Field.

St. Maries (3-12) travels to Moscow on Thursday at 4 p.m.

Sandpoint (13-3) hosts Lewiston in a doubleheader on Thursday.

FIRST GAME

St. Maries 000 00 — 0 1 2

Sandpoint 312 05 — 11 7 1

Game called in 5th inning due to 10-run rule

Gavin Wemhoff, Trace Wicks (5) and Dillon Holder; Avery Bocksch, Max Thielbahr (3) and Trevor Brackett.

HITS: SM — Wyatt Holmes. Spt — Zimmerman 3, Riley 2, Thielbahr, Garcia. 2B — Zimmerman, Garcia.

SECOND GAME

St. Maries 020 001 0 — 3 4 1

Sandpoint 610 202 x — 11 9 3

Tanner McMaster, Trace Wicks (1), Brock Anderson (5) and Dillon Holder and Riley Abell (3); Evan Williams, Blake Sherrill (3), Zeke Roop (4), Kody MacDonald (5), Jack Zimmerman (6), Auggie Lehman (7) and Auggie Lehman.

HITS: SM — Crawford, Holder, Thomas, Hunter. Spt — Bocksch 3, Riley 2, Sherrill 2, Williams, Zimmerman. 2B — Williams. 3B — Bocksch 2, Sherr

Lewiston 8-9

Lakeland 2-2

LEWISTON — Elliott Taylor and Cruz Hepburn each had three RBIs on the day for the Bengals, who swept the Hawks in Inland Empire League play at Church Field.

Scotty Hocking had four hits on the day — three singles and a double in the second game — for Lakeland (1-20, 0-14 IEL), which plays at Lake City on Saturday at noon.

Lewiston (10-7, 10-3) travels to Sandpoint for a doubleheader on Thursday.

FIRST GAME

Lakeland 000 011 0 — 2 6 4

Lewiston 311 021 x — 8 10 2

Payden Wysong, Scott Pote (6) and Gunner Vandever; Brice Bensching, Cole McKenzie (6) and Killian Fox. W — Bensching. L — Wysong.

HITS: LL — Hocking 2, Wysong, Vandever, Love, Pemberton. Lew — Fox, Taylor, Ricard, Kolb 2, Edmison, Lombard, McKenzie. 2B — Fox, Edmison, Taylor 2. Ricard.

SECOND GAME

Lakeland 100 010 0 — 2 4 4

Lewiston 100 350 x — 9 11 3

Scott Pote, Josh Mason (6) and Gunner Vandever; Zachary Lombard, Kayden Carpenter (5) and Austin Kolb. W — Lombard. L — Pote.

HITS: LL — Hocking 2, Wysong, Vandever. Lew — Fox 2, Taylor, Hepburn, Ricard, Kolb 2, Edmison 2, Massey, Carpenter. 2B — Hocking, Fox, Massey, Taylor.

Bonners Ferry 10-16

Kellogg 7-5

BONNERS FERRY — The Intermountain League-leading Badgers climbed out of a 7-2 hole with eight runs in the fifth inning of the opener, and went on to sweep the visiting Wildcats.

Teigan Banning drove in four runs in the opener for Bonners Ferry (11-6, 8-0 IML), including a two-run double that tied the game at 7. He also singled in two runs in the first inning.

Logan Jerome went 3 for 5 for Kellogg (2-6 IML), and Brody Hoffman was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs.

“We were in a deep hole,” Bonners Ferry coach Tom Turpin said. “We weren’t playing well, but we finally strung some hits out.”

In the second game, David Hammons went 2 for 3 and drove in three runs for the Badgers. Blake Rice was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs, and Bo Bateman knocked home three runs and scored three times.

Bonners Ferry plays host to second-place Timberlake on Friday in a doubleheader.

FIRST GAME

Kellogg 003 400 0 — 7 8 0

Bonners Ferry 200 080 x — 10 7 4

Brody Hoffman, Travis Eixenberger (5) and Luke Frohlich; Elijah Dahl, Spencer Eby (5) and Bo Bateman.

HITS: Kell — Rainio 2, Jerome 3, Bro. Hoffman 2, Bra. Hoffman. BF — B. Bateman, Schulte 2, Rice, Hammons, Banning 2. 2B — Banning, Jerome 2, Bro. Hoffman.

SECOND GAME

Kellogg 020 03 — 5 3 2

Bonners Ferry 172 6x — 16 13 4

Game called in fifth inning due to 10-run rule.

Brayden Hoffman, Logan Jerome (2), Asher Goodner (4) and Luke Frohlich; Teigan Banning, Trey Bateman (5) and Bo Bateman.

HITS: Kell — R. Luna, Bra. Hoffman, K. Luna. BF — B. Bateman, Schulte 2, Rice 3, Hammons 2, Newell, T. Bateman 3, Willis. 2B — Rice 2, B. Bateman, T. Bateman, Schulte.