LEGION BASEBALL: Lums, Twins split to force deciding AA game today
JASON ELLIOTT/Press Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen pitcher Troy Shepard tries to beat Lewis-Clark hitter Chris Ricard during the third inning of the first game in the Class AA Area A best-of-3 series at Thorco Field on Saturday.
JASON ELLIOTT/Press Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen hitter Cooper Erickson beats out a relay throw to first base during the third inning of Saturday's first game in Class AA Area A best-of-3 series against Lewis-Clark at Thorco Field.
JASON ELLIOTT/Press Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen right fielder Eric Bumbaugh attempts to catch a fly ball during the third inning of Saturday's opening game in the Class AA Area A best-of-3 series at Thorco Field.
COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen and Lewis-Clark Twins split the first two games of a best-of-3 series for the Class AA Area A title at Thorco Field on Saturday, forcing a deciding game today in Lewiston.
Cruz Hepburn hit a two-run home run in the first inning of the first game for Lewis-Clark (19-16), which beat the Lumbermen 8-4 in the first game. In the second game, Ryan Schneider, Joe DuCoeur and Cooper Larson drove in two runs each as the Lums (30-9) won 11-4 to even the series.
Game 3 is today at Harris Field at Lewiston, tentatively scheduled for 4 p.m. Lewis-Clark is hosting the Class A Area A tournament championship game against the North Idaho Lakers at 1 p.m.
Brice Bensching hit a two-run double in the third inning of the first game for Lewis-Clark. Troy Shepard struck out nine for Coeur d’Alene, but walked three.
“They’re a good hitting and dangerous team,” Coeur d’Alene coach Darren Taylor said. “Troy’s control was a little off today and strangely he got a lot of pitches up and they took advantage of that.”
Schneider struck out eight on the mound in the second game for Coeur d’Alene. Joe DuCoeur had a two-run triple in the third inning for Coeur d’Alene.
“Ryan pitched really well,” Taylor said. “Joe hit a line drive down the right field line and was flying around the bases. He’s just one of a kind.”
The teams split their four games during the regular season.
“We didn’t take care of business like we should have,” Taylor said. “Here we go. We’ll see if we can’t get it done tomorrow.”
FIRST GAME
Lewis-Clark 204 020 0 — 8 7 3
Coeur d’Alene 020 100 1 — 4 5 2
Chris Ricard and Wyatt Lopez; Troy Shepard, Jayden Butler (6) and Joe DuCoeur.
HITS: L-C — Taylor, Hepburn 2, Ricard, Bensching, Barden, Lopez. Cd’A — Bumbaugh, Schneider, DuCoeur, Larson, E. Taylor. 2B — Lopez, Barden, Bensching, DuCoeur, Bumbaugh. HR — Hepburn.
SECOND GAME
Lewis-Clark 010 001 2 — 4 7 0
Coeur d’Alene 005 204 x — 11 8 1
Konkol, name unavailable (5), K. Daniel (5) and T. Granlund; Ryan Schneider, Jesse Brown (6), AJ Currie (7) and Joe DuCoeur.
HITS: L-C — Taylor, Ricard 2, Bensching, Kolb, Johnson 2. Cd’A — Bumbaugh, Zeller, Schneider 2, DuCoeur, Larson, C. Erickson, Bridge. 2B — Johnson 2, Schneider, Larson. 3B — DuCoeur. HR — Ricard, Bridge.
SPOKANE — Joseph Cohen had three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored for the Lumbermen 17U in a win over the Lumbermen 16U in a semifinal game in the Washington state AA tournament at Al K. Jackson Field.
Coeur d’Alene’s 17U (41-5-1) advances to the championship game vs. Mead today at Al K. Jackson Field at 6:30 p.m. Both teams advance to state.
The 16U team (32-13-1) plays today vs. Colville at 11 a.m. in a loser-out game, needing two wins to advance to state. That winner plays the Gonzaga Prep-Shadle Park winner at 4 p.m. for the district’s third berth to state in Selah, Wash., beginning July 23.
Nolan Christ had a two-run single in the second inning for the Lums 17U. Isaac Ziegler, Calvin Coppess and Paxon Bunch scored two runs each in the win.
Mark Holecek had an RBI single for the Lums 16U.
Mead beat Shadle Park 12-8 to advance to the title game and earn a state berth.
In loser-out games, Colville beat Cheney 8-6 and Gonzaga Prep downed Chewelah 12-2.
N.I. Lakers 7
Northern Lakes 2
LEWISTON — Trevor Brackett had a two-run single in the second inning and Zeke Roop struck out 11 over 5 2/3 innings as the second seeded North Idaho Lakers eliminated the top seeded Northern Lakes in the Class AA Area A tournament at Harris Field.
North Idaho (16-11) advanced to an if-necessary championship game today at 1 p.m. after beating the third seeded Lewis-Clark Cubs 4-2 in the first championship game later Saturday.
Finn-Erik Mellander went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored for North Idaho.
Northern Lakes finishes 17-15.
NORTH IDAHO LAKERS 7, NORTHERN LAKES 2
Northern Lakes 000 002 0 — 2 5 1
North Idaho Lakers 023 002 x — 7 10 2
Kenny Wells, Scott Pote (3), Andrew Horn (6) and Sam Pemberton; Zeke Roop, Mike Riley (6) and Trevor Brackett.
HITS: NL — Wysong, Wells, Horn, Pemberton, Kitchin, Sheppard. NI — MacDonald, Leverich, Bocksch, Mellander, Butler 2, Koch, Brackett. 2B — Wysong.
