STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TOURNAMENTS: Dixon does it again for T-Wolves ... Lake City senior provides big hit in opening round win over rival Coeur d'Alene

• 5A

CALDWELL — Last Tuesday, senior Charlie Dixon hit a solo home run to get the Lake City bats rolling in the 5A Region 1 championship game against Coeur d’Alene High.

Same results, larger stage.

Dixon, a senior left-handed first baseman, had a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the fourth inning for the third-seeded Timberwolves in a 6-2 win over the sixth-seeded Vikings in the state tournament opener for both at Wolfe Field in Caldwell on Thursday.

“It was just great timing,” said second-year Lake City coach Mike Criswell of Dixon’s double. “Up until that, both pitchers were throwing absolute gems. It was just a great game.”

Lake City (20-5) faces second-seeded Owyhee (22-2) in the semifinals tonight at 5:30. Coeur d’Alene (17-11) faces seventh-seeded Highland (21-7) in a loser out game today at 12:30 p.m.

Lake City lost 5-2 in last year’s title game to Owyhee.

“They just do everything right,” Criswell said. “They don’t make big mistakes. Defensively, we played OK, but made some throwing errors. If we do that against them, they’ll take advantage. We’re going to have to be sharper than we were tonight.”

Both teams had scoring chances in the first inning, but starters Nate Weatherhead (Lake City) and Aidan Blanco (Coeur d’Alene) pitched out of trouble.

Coeur d’Alene nearly broke through in the top of the fourth inning on a single by Tyler Voorhees, but the runner was thrown out at the plate by Lake City centerfielder Ty Shepard to end the frame.

“That momentum shift was crazy,” Criswell said. “It was a great play by Ty and (catcher) Cooper Smith.”

Lake City got on the board as Sean Jimenez scored on a wild pitch to give the Timberwolves a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. 

“We knew one (run) wasn’t going to be enough to win that game,” Criswell said. “At some point, they were going to get the bats going and score some runs at some point.”

With two strikes and two outs in the fifth inning, Dixon lined the ball to center to score  Jake Dannenberg, Mark Holecek and Jimenez. Dixon scored on an RBI single by Ty Shepard to make it 5-0 after five innings.

“Dixon’s hit was kind of the nail in the coffin,” Karns said. “Lake City has been able to get big hits when they need them. They played well.”

Blanco, who has signed with Whitworth, allowed one earned run in 3.2 innings, striking out four. Blanco allowed one hit in the Vikings state play-in win over Capital on Saturday in Lewiston.

“I can’t compliment Aidan enough about the week he had,” fifth-year Coeur d’Alene coach Erik Karns said. “I’m super proud of him and he made big pitches when he needed to.”

Weatherhead struck out seven for Lake City.

“Nate pitched a great game,” Karns said. “It was a typical game against those guys. Really close and it came down to a few plays here and there. We’ll learn from it.”

Holecek extended the lead to 6-0 on an RBI single to score courtesy runner Chris Reynolds in the sixth.

Coeur d’Alene scored on a fielder’s choice and an RBI groundout in the seventh.

Coeur d’Alene    000    000    2    —    2    5    0

Lake City    000    141    x    —    6    9    3

Aidan Blanco, Will Beckenhauer (4), Zeb Blattstein (6) and Chase Saunders; Nate Weatherhead, Kyle Johnson (7) and Cooper Smith.

HITS: Cd’A — Field 2, Fenter, Trunkey-Evans, Voorhees. LC — Shepard, Usdrowski, Cherry, Danneberg, Holecek, Jimenez, Dixon 2, Hawkins. 2B — Dixon, Dannenberg.

• 3A

Fruitland 7

Timberlake 3

NAMPA — Senior Cooper Lenz had two hits with an RBI and run scored for the sixth-seeded Tigers, who fell to the third-seeded Grizzlies in an opening round game at Northwest Nazarene. 

Timberlake (12-10-1) will face seventh-seeded South Fremont (13-14) in a loser-out game today at 10 a.m. South Fremont lost 7-5 to second-seeded Sugar-Salem 7-5 in its opener.

Lenz opened the scoring, reaching on an error and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Caden Robinett in the top of the first inning. Fruitland took a 2-1 lead on a two-run single by Jace Mordhorst in the third inning. The Grizzlies added three more runs, two unearned, to take a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the third.

Fruitland (18-6) will face Sugar-Salem (19-4) in a semifinal today.

Timberlake    100    000    2    —    3    5    4

Fruitland    005    200    x    —    7    9    3

Caden Robinett and Nate Beardsall; Landon Bushong, Coye Coffman (5) and Jace Mordhorst.

HITS: TL — Lenz 2, Allaway, Robinett, Huston. Fruit — Vidlak 3, Mordhorst 2, Pettet, Vidlak, Coffman, Baker. 2B — Mordhorst, Pettet.

STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TOURNAMENTS

Times PDT

5A

At Wolfe Field, Caldwell

Thursday’s Games

Rocky Mountain 3, Middleton 1

Mountain View 5, Eagle 3

Owyhee 7, Highland 4

Lake City 6, Coeur d'Alene 2

Friday’s Games

Game 5 — No. 5 Middleton (21-7) vs. No. 1 Eagle (21-4), 9 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 — No. 7 Highland (21-7) vs. No. 6 Coeur d'Alene (17-11), 11:30 a.m. (loser out)

Game 7 — No. 4 Rocky Mountain (18-8) vs. No. 8 Mountain View (17-10), 3 p.m. (semifinal)

Game 8 — No. 2 Owyhee (22-2) vs. No. 3 Lake City (20-5), 5:30 p.m. (semifinal)

Saturday’s Games

Consolation championship

Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m.

Third-place game

Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 11:30 a.m.

Championship game

Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4 p.m.

4A

At Vallivue High, Caldwell

Thursday’s Games

Moscow 6, Minico 0

Blackfoot 2, Pocatello 1

Bishop Kelly 3, Twin Falls 2

Bonneville 6, Skyview 4

Friday’s Games

Game 5 — No. 7 Minico (14-11) vs. No. 6 Pocatello (16-11), 9 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 — No. 5 Twin Falls (18-10) vs. No. 1 Skyview (22-3), noon (loser out)

Game 7 — No. 2 Moscow (18-7) vs. No. 3 Blackfoot (23-5), 3 p.m. (semifinal)

Game 8 — No. 4 Bishop Kelly (17-9) vs. No. 8 Bonneville (15-15), 6 p.m. (semifinal)

Saturday’s Games

Consolation championship

Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m.

Third-place game

Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, noon

Championship game

Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4 p.m.

3A

At Elmore Vail Field, Nampa

Thursday’s Games

Sugar-Salem 7, South Fremont 5

Fruitland 7, Timberlake 3

Kimberly 3, Marsh Valley 0

Homedale 16, Parma 6

Friday’s Games

Game 5 — No. 7 South Fremont (13-14) vs. No. 6 Timberlake (12-10-1), 10 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 — No. 5 Marsh Valley (18-7) vs. No. 8 Parma (7-19), 12:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 7 — No. 2 Sugar-Salem (19-4) vs. No. 3 Fruitland (18-6), 3 p.m. (semifinal)

Game 8 — No. 4 Kimberly (18-5) vs. No. 1 Homedale (22-4), 5:30 p.m. (semifinal)

Saturday’s Games

Consolation championship

Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m.

Third-place game

Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 11:30 a.m.

Championship game

Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2 p.m.

2A

At Halliwell Park, Pocatello

Thursday’s Games

Wendell 5, Nampa Christian 1

Orofino 7, Firth 6

Challis-Mackay 11, Cole Valley Christian 5

Grangeville 8, Malad 7

Friday’s Games

Game 5 — Nampa Christian (22-2) vs. Firth (16-12), 9 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 — Cole Valley Christian (21-7-1) vs. Malad (14-9), 11:30 a.m. (loser out)

Game 7 — Wendell (17-5-1) vs. Orofino (23-2), 2:30 p.m. (semifinal)

Game 8 — Challis-Mackay (19-2-1) vs. Grangeville (22-4), 5 p.m. (semifinal)

Saturday’s Games

Consolation championship

Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 8 a.m.

Third-place game

Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 10:30 a.m.

Championship game

Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 1 p.m.