STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: Lake City blanks Eagle in opener

5A

CALDWELL — Three innings into Lake City’s first game at state since 2016, the Timberwolves were scoreless, but first-year head coach Mike Criswell wasn’t concerned.

“I’ve noticed a pattern with this team — you can't hold back the barrels on this team,” Criswell said.

Sixth-seeded Lake City sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the fourth, totaled six hits and scored eight runs, and went on to blank the third-seeded Eagle Mustangs 13-0 in the first round of the state 5A baseball tournament Thursday at the College of Idaho’s Wolfe Field.

“Boy, everybody came to the party,” Criswell said of the fourth inning in particular, and the game in general. “There's not a person that didn’t contribute. It was a well-rounded effort.”

Lake City (20-6) will face second-seeded Middleton (23-5) in a semifinal game today at 3 p.m. PDT. Middleton defeated No. 7 Timberline of Boise 2-1 in 10 innings.

In the T-Wolf fourth, Eric Bumbaugh singled, Joe DuCoeur walked and Cole Stoddard walked to load the bases.

Owen Mangini bounced to short, but the throw home sailed over the catcher’s head and a run scored.

Junior Jake Dannenberg lined a single to center field to score two runs.

“We’re pretty picky at the plate, we get a few guys on base, and you could kinda feel it coming,” Criswell said. “I can count on both of my hands this season when I probably should have bunted (just to show it). And I don’t have the stomach to bunt, and Jake comes up and gets that hit.”

Lake City didn’t stop there.

Braeden Newby singled to right center to score Mangini, and Dannenberg scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0.

One out later, Ty Shepard singled to left, then moved up a bag on the throw home, putting runners at second and third.

After a pitching change and a strikeout, Bumbaugh stroked a two-run single to left field, scoring Newby and Shepard. DuCoeur followed with a hit-and-run single to right to bring home Bumbaugh and make it 8-0.

That allowed Lake City to pull starting pitcher Cooper Reese after four shutout innings and 56 pitches, meaning he can come back and pitch on Saturday. Reese, one of nine juniors on the team, struck out five, walked none, and allowed three hits.

“Coach (Justin) Garza came over (during the top of the fourth) and said, ‘We’ve got to pull him,’” Criswell said of Reese. “He threw so well in the beginning, and once we got up in that inning, we just came up with a plan. He kept them on their heels; he deserved to pitch the whole game.”

Junior AJ Currie came on in relief and pitched two shutout innings, allowing one hit. Better yet, he threw just 18 pitches, allowing him to pitch again today if needed.

Bumbaugh, one of five seniors on the team, finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Dannenberg was 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Shepard was 2 for 3 and scored twice.

Lake City lost 6-0 at Eagle on March 24. In that game, Mustangs lefthander Grant Baskin pitched four innings of one-hit ball vs. the T-Wolves, striking out five and walking five.

On Thursday, Lake City chased Baskin after 3.1 innings. He struck out three, walked three, allowed five hits and seven runs, four earned.

“We had two terrible practices back to back (prior to state) and I was concerned how we’d come out today,” Criswell said. “I think we’re going to be OK.”

Lake City 000 805 — 13 11 1

Eagle 000 000 — 0 4 2

Game called after 6 innings due to 10-run rule.

Cooper Reese, AJ Currie (5) and Cooper Smith; Grant Baskin, Luke Scott (4), Roman Richard (6), Ryan Buchanan (6) and Jimmy Flynn.

HITS: LC — Smith, Bumbaugh 2, DuCoeur, Stoddard, Dannenberg 2, Newby, Cherry, Shepard 2. Eag — Duarte 2, Flynn, Barowsky. 2B — Duarte.

3A

Kimberly 8

Timberlake 3

NAMPA — The seventh-seeded Tigers, at state for the first time since 2019, hung tough with the second-seeded Bulldogs, last year’s state 3A consolation champions, through four innings of their first-round game Thursday at Northwest Nazarene University’s Elmore Vail Field.

But Kimberly took advantage of two Timberlake errors and scored four times in the bottom of the fifth to break the game open.

The Tigers got a run back in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Parker Holly, and had runners at second and third, but could score no more.

“I thought we played tight, a little nervous, took us a little bit to get the jitters out, especially at the plate,” second-year Timberlake coach Bryce Johnson said. “We saw a couple good arms, and our approaches weren’t what they needed to be. This group of kids hasn’t been here before, and it proved to be the difference.”

Timberlake (12-13) will face No. 6 Payette (15-8-1) today at 10 a.m. PDT in a loser-out game. Payette fell to No. 3 Sugar-Salem 8-6.

Holly doubled home Grant Allaway in the top of the second for Timberlake. The senior finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs.

“Parker Holly and Grant Allaway swung it pretty well,” Johnson said.

They combined for three of Timberlake’s four hits. The Tigers struck out 17 times, with Garrett Nelson fanning 13 in five innings, and Parker Stringham striking out four in two innings.

“Way too many strikeouts,” Johnson said. “Both their guys could throw. But we got deeper in counts, and passive, tried to wait, and got away from what got us here.”

Timberlake finished with four errors.

“We played on a turf infield, and that ball gets on you pretty quick; it took a couple innings to get used to it,” Johnson said. “It took us a little while to get settled in, used to the environment. I expect us to respond better tomorrow, now that we're settled in.”

Timberlake 011 001 0 — 3 4 4

Kimberly 012 140 x — 8 8 0

Caden Robinett, Grant Allaway (6) and JT Armes, Robinett (6); Garrett Nelson, Parker Stringham (6) and Hudson Flameling, Nelson (6).

HITS: TL — Lenz, Allaway, Holly 2. Kim — Nelson, Cummins 2, P. Stringham, Ford, Morquecho, Walker. 2B — Holly, P. Stringham.

2A

Malad 15

Kellogg 2

OROFINO — The Wildcats, in their first appearance at state, fell to the Dragons in five innings in a first-round game at Orofino High.

No other information was available.

Kellogg (12-15) will face Bear Lake (6-13) of Montpelier today at noon in a loser-out game.

Malad (13-8) will face Marsing (16-8) in a semifinal game.