Viks Trim Trojans In Iel Opener

Idaho high schools

Perhaps the best news Tuesday afternoon during an Inland Empire League baseball opener regarded the weather.

Playing under sunny skies and moderately warm temperatures, Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls played predictably inconsistent baseball, typical of early season games.

Coeur d’Alene needed nearly all of a seven-run lead before holding off visiting Post Falls 11-9 under conditions that were easily warmer than any time the teams played a year ago.

The starting pitchers - Mark Scates for CdA, Priest River transfer Ricky Pettit for Post Falls - had fine but abbreviated outings as both coaches counted pitches. Neither was around when things fell apart for both teams in the late innings.

Scates left after four innings and the Vikings (4-1) ahead 3-1.

Post Falls touched Vikings reliever Ben Johnston for three runs in the fifth inning for a brief 4-3 lead. Johnston served up three wild pitches, two of which allowed runs. The Trojans (1-2) scored the other run on a Mike Heston single.

CdA regained the lead for good in Pettit’s final inning in the fifth. Joe Wagner provided the big hit, a two-run single.

The Viks seemed to put the game well out of reach with a six-run sixth inning. Johnston, Scott Ross and Dan Cleave had RBI hits.

After Johnston allowed the two runs in the fifth, he became the pitcher of record.

In the top of the seventh, Johnston gave up an RBI double to Heston, followed by a single and three straight walks. Nick Rook came on to pick up a save with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate.

Rook allowed a run-scoring single and a walk before getting a groundout to end the game.

Post Falls coach John Pettoello is taking a patient approach with an inexperienced team.

“We have mostly (junior varsity) players off a team that didn’t have a very good record,” Pettoello said. “We battled. I’ve got real good kids. We had a breakdown at the end but that’s because we’re young.”

First-year CdA coach Brian Holgate has a team that will score runs in bunches. And if his pitching staff develops, the Vikings could push league favorite Lewiston.

“We’ve been slow with the bats so it was nice to see us hit today,” Holgate said. “It’s hard to put a finger on what we did well today because every time we’d make a good step we’d take one step backward.”

Rook and Wagner each had three hits for CdA. Scott Chamberlain and Heston had three and two hits, respectively, for the Trojans.

CdA continues league play Friday when it travels to Lewiston for a doubleheader.

Post Falls returns to action Thursday with a home contest against Shadle Park.

Andy Potter had five RBIs, including a three-run homer in the second, and Jeff Brennan (1-0) pitched three strong innings as Lake City beat visiting University 12-8 in a non-leaguer at CdA.

At St. Maries, Wallace (1-0) scored three unearned runs in the first and another in the sixth for a 4-3 non-league win over the Lumberjacks (0-1).

Softball

Sophomore Nicki Meyer pitched a two-hitter and struck out five to help visiting University over Lake City 4-1 in a non-league game at Coeur d’Alene.

Lindsay Herbert of the Timberwolves (1-2) walked in the fourth, moved to third on an error and scored on Megan Carpenter’s grounder to Meyer.

In other non-leaguers, Amber Orr cleared the bases with a first-inning triple and finished with five RBIs as Coeur d’Alene notched a 23-6 win at North Central.

Katelyn Tatum and Stacey Weber had four RBIs apiece for the Vikings. Tatum’s three-run double in the second helped CdA to back-to-back 10-run innings.

Jennifer Glaser and Becca Reed totaled three hits and four RBIs apiece to guide Post Falls (1-0) to a 16-6 win over visiting St. Maries.

PF’s Angie Foster added four runs and two RBIs. Jamie Wolfe of St. Maries had two RBIs and two runs.

At Potlatch, Sunny Jo Mullen totaled three runs and two RBIs in visiting Lakeside’s 11-10 win.

Lakeside’s Mary Kolar added three runs. Susanne Sawyer of Potlatch had two hits and two RBIs.

Boys soccer

Freshman Jeff Waggoner crossed a pass to senior Ty Kovatch for a header goal with 1 minute left, completing Coeur d’Alene’s 8-0 North Idaho League win over visiting Post Falls.

Kovatch finished with three goals and one assist, Waggoner with one goal and two assists. Senior Darren Baune added two goals and one assist for the Vikings (2-0).

Goalkeeper Chad Baker had 12 saves for the Trojans, a first-year team.

, DataTimes