PREP BASEBALL: Cherry pitches Lake City past Post Falls in 6A District 1 loser-out game

COEUR d’ALENE — Senior Owen Mangini, a Nevada signee, singled in senior Kyle Johnson in the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie, and the second-seeded Lake City Timberwolves went on to beat the third-seeded Post Falls Trojans in a loser-out first-round game in the 6A District 1 tournament Friday at Lake City High.

Lake City (11-7) advances to face top-seeded Coeur d’Alene (15-2) in a best-of-3 series starting on Tuesday at Coeur d’Alene High. Game 2 is Thursday at Lake City, with an if-necessary game on May 3 at Coeur d’Alene High. 

Two batters after Mangini's single, senior Owen Moore delivered a two-run single for Lake City. Senior Avrey Cherry allowed four hits and struck out five in the win. 

"Avrey had a stellar performance and seemed to enjoy his role against a worthy adversary," Lake City coach Mike Criswell said. "Our defense was stingy and that gave Avrey a lot of confidence to trust his pitches."

“Avrey threw great and really kept us off-balance,” Post Falls coach Kurt Reese said. “The balls we hit, they made some plays and that’s what you want. He threw the ball really well today.” 

Senior Caleb Jimerson struck out nine for Post Falls, which finished 8-13. 

“It was a very well-played game,” Reese said. “We just got unlucky a few times. We had a few line drives, but just couldn’t get the ball to fall. We had some errors and they took advantage. Caleb threw the ball really well.” 

"I knew Jimerson was going to dominate early," Criswell said. "My hope was to get to the fourth or fifth inning within 2-3. Unfortunately, early on we were swinging out of the zone and letting them control the pace. Avery locked down the seventh and now we prepare for Tuesday."

Post Falls    000    000    0    —    0    4    1 

Lake City    000    003    x    —    3    7    1 

Caleb Jimerson and Marshall Tomlinson; Avrey Cherry and Tanner Franklin. 

HITS: PF — Jimerson, O’Connor, Morrison, Reese. LC — Holecek, Pierce, Johnson, Usdrowski, Mangini, Franklin, Moore. 2B — Jimerson, Reese, Pierce, Usdrowski. 

Timberlake 10-10 

Bonners Ferry 0-11 

BONNERS FERRY — Junior Eric Wylie allowed three hits and struck out five in the first game for the Tigers, who split an Intermountain League doubleheader with the Badgers at Bonners Ferry High, and earned the top seed to the 4A District 1 tournament.

With the split, Timberlake (11-3, 2-1 IML) and Bonners Ferry (6-11, 1-2) will play a best-of-3 series starting on Monday, with all three games at John Shaffer Field in Spirit Lake.  

Sophomore Nate Beardsall had two RBIs in the opener for Timberlake. 

In the nightcap, junior Tanner Van Tassel had three RBIs, but the Badgers rallied with eight runs in the bottom of the seventh to get the win. 

Had Timberlake won, and swept the season series, the Tigers could have captured the district title by winning Game 1 of the best-of-3 series.

Juniors Keenan Maas and Jack Woods had two RBIs each for Bonners Ferry. 

FIRST GAME 

Timberlake    200    305    —    10    9    0 

Bonners Ferry    000    000    —    0    3    2 

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

Eric Wylie and Ethan Pecor; Gavin Rider, Thomas Bateman (6) and Keenan Maas. 

HITS: TL — Brennan, Perkl, Pecor 2, Beardsall, Moore 2, Van Tassel, Haines. BF — Liermann, Maas, Woods. 2B — none. 3B — none. 

SECOND GAME 

Timberlake    311    004    1    —    10    13    3 

Bonners Ferry    002    010    8    —    11    8    2 

Two outs when winning run scored. 

Ryker Brennan, Nate Beardsall (7), Zach Blansfield (7), Tanner Van Tassel (7) and Ethan Pecor; Jack Woods, Stryder Liermann (1), Brody Rice (5) and Keenan Maas. 

HITS: TL — Brennan, Perkl 2, Pecor 3, Wylie, Beardsall, Moore 2, Van Tassel 2, Haines. BF — Bateman, Liermann 2, Maas, Woods, Rice, Burt, Mertzweiller. 2B — Van Tassel, Wylie, Brennan, Woods, Maas. 

Grangeville 10-5 

St. Maries 0-2 

GRANGEVILLE — The Lumberjacks fell to 3-17, 2-9 in the Central Idaho League after being swept by the Bulldogs at Grangeville High. 

Peyton Lingo and Jordan Hammons had RBIs in the second game for the Lumberjacks, who host Orofino to conclude the regular season on Tuesday at PotlatchDeltic Field at St. Maries High. 

Grangeville is 14-9, 9-3. 

FIRST GAME 

St. Maries    000    00    —    0    1    0 

Grangeville    112    42    —    10    11    1 

Game called with one out in bottom of 5th inning due to 10-run rule. 

Landen Holmes, Jordan Hammons (3) and Amado Stewart; David Goicoa and Thayn Williams. 

HITS: SM — Hammons. Grange — Williams, Jackson 2, Goicoa 2, Wassmuth 2, Sickels 2, Long, Wilson. 2B — Goicoa 2, Williams, Wassmuth, Jackson.  

SECOND GAME 

St. Maries    101    000    0    —    2    13    0 

Grangeville    001    202    x    —    5    8    0 

Kris Brusseau, Peyton Lingo (6) and Amado Stewart; Thayn Williams, JT Jackson (6) and David Goicoa. 

HITS: SM — Stewart 2, Holmes, K. Brusseau 3, Lingo 2, Hammons, R. Brusseau, Wilborn, McMurrian 2. Grange — Williams 2, Jackson, Goicoa, Brown, Wilson 2, Garmen. 2B — Garmen, Goicoa, Jackson, Wilson. HR — Williams. 

Orofino 15-22

Kellogg 3-1

OSBURN — The league-leading Maniacs (18-3, 10-0 Central Idaho League) swept the Wildcats (3-14, 3-9) at Morehouse Field.

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