STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TOURNAMENTS: One out from victory, Lake City falls to defending champion Owyhee in 9 in semis

• 5A

CALDWELL — Lake City’s bid to return to the state 5A championship game for a second straight year fell one out short.

One out.

The third-seeded Timberwolves were one out from victory in a semifinal game against No. 2 Owyhee of Meridian, but the defending champion Storm tied the game with a two-out RBI double in the seventh inning.

Owyhee then won it with a walk-off single with two out and bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to beat Lake City 3-2 at Wolfe Field on the campus of the College of Idaho.

Lake City (20-6), which fell to Owyhee in last year’s state title game, will play eighth seed Mountain View (17-11) of Meridian today at 11:30 a.m. PDT in the third-place game.

Owyhee (23-2), which has now been in the title game all three years since the school opened, will play fourth seed Rocky Mountain (19-8) of Meridian today at 4 p.m. PDT in the title game.

Lake City broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of the fourth. A sacrifice fly by Sean Jimenez scored Mark Holecek, and a single by Charlie Dixon scored Jake Dannenberg.

Owyhee answered with a run in the fifth.

Lake City got the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Keagan Kelly singled up the middle, then scored all the way from first on a double to right center by Lucas Skinner.

After a base on balls, Lake City reliever Kyle Johnson struck out the next batter to force extra innings.

Owyhee threatened again in the eighth following a leadoff double, but a diving catch by Lake City right fielder Jack Pierce near the line sent the game to the ninth.

Lake City had runners at second and third in the top of the ninth, but couldn’t score.

In the bottom half, after the first two batters were retired, Owyhee loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch and two walks, and Cade Walker’s base hit to right won it for the Storm.

Cooper Reese struck out seven and walked two over 6.2 innings and 108 pitches for Lake City.

Lake City    000    200    000    —    2    6    3

Owyhee    000    010    101    —    3    7    0

2 out when winning run scored.

Cooper Reese, Kyle Johnson (7), Avrey Cherry (9) and Cooper Smith; Hunter Mahaffey, Christian Zannitto (5), Gage Haws (8) and Lucas Skinner. 

HITS: LC — Cherry, Holecek, Dannenberg, Dixon 2, Moore. Owy — Kelly, Skinner, Haws 2, Keith, Walker, Zannitto. 2B — Dixon, Keith.

Highland 18

Coeur d’Alene 3

CALDWELL — The sixth-seeded Vikings bowed out in two games following a loss to the Rams of Pocatello in the state 5A tournament at Wolfe Field.

Coeur d’Alene, at state for the first time since 2021, finished 17-11.

Preston Foltz and Mason Payne drove in three runs each for Highland (22-7), which faces Middleton (22-7) in the consolation championship game today.

Highland    35(10)    00    —    18    15    0

Coeur d’Alene    300    00    —    3    4    6

Game called after 5 innings due to 10-run rule.

Jackson Hale and Cannon Eddie; Harrison Trunkey-Evans, Kolbe Coey (2), Dylan Cook (3), Zane Blattstein (4) and Chase Saunders.

HITS: High — Durham, Shepherd, Payne, John, Foltz 3, Eddie 3, Stringfellow 2, Hymas, Choules 2. Cd’A — Saunders, Fente, Voorhees, Chambers. 2B — Choules, John, Eddie.

• 3A

South Fremont 10

Timberlake 9

NAMPA — Freshman Ryker Brennan and seniors Grant Allaway and Caden Robinett had two hits each for the sixth-seeded Tigers in a loss to the seventh-seeded Cougars in a state 3A loser-out game at Northwest Nazarene University's Elmore Vail Field.

Timberlake, at state for the second straight year, finished 12-11-1.

South Fremont (14-9) will face eighth-seeded Parma (8-18) in the consolation championship game today.

South Fremont    320    103    1    —    10    7    6

Timberlake    160    020    0    —    9    7    3

Bryce Johnson, Jordan Hammond (2) and Max Clark; Grant Allaway, Ryker Brennan (6) and unknown.

HITS: SF — Forbush, Clark 2, Johnson, Hansen, Miller, Farley. TL — Lenz 2, Brennan 2, Allaway, Moore, Huston. 2B — Clark, Allaway. HR — Johnson.