Post Falls heads to state tournament
Post Falls High sophomore pitcher Michael Shaffer found out he was going to start in the 4A Region I baseball tournament title game Thursday as he was putting on his uniform in the locker room.
While that might have rattled some young players, the left-handed Shaffer stepped up to the challenge even though he bounced back and forth between the varsity and junior varsity all season.
Shaffer shut out No. 4-seeded Sandpoint, limiting the visiting Bulldogs to five hits and striking out eight as second-seeded Post Falls prevailed 3-0 to capture its first regional title and second state berth.
Post Falls (15-10) advances to Bishop Kelly High School in Boise where the state tourney begins Thursday. The Trojans will play the winner of a Saturday play-in game between the District VI runner-up and District IV-V third-place team.
Sandpoint (9-15) will make its third trip in five days to No. 1 Moscow (11-13) for a loser-out game today at 4. The winner advances to a play-in game for a state berth Saturday against the District III third-place team.
Shaffer improved his record to 3-0. But that’s a little misleading. He was pitching when Sandpoint opened an 8-2 lead in a game April 22 that was suspended in the fifth inning because of darkness. The rescheduled completion of the game was canceled because of wet grounds two weeks later. So the game was never completed because the regular season ran into the postseason.
“He’s been up and down on varsity,” Post Falls coach Mick Zeller said. “We brought him up early to pitch, but we didn’t think he could hit at this level or play defense. So we sent him down to the (JV) for a couple of games and then he’d come back up and pitch. He’s been back and forth all year.”
In his last start of the regular season last week, Shaffer threw a three-hitter in a 5-1 win over Lake City. He was on varsity for good at that point.
“He doesn’t overpower people. He just makes great pitches – and sometimes throws a lot of pitches,” Zeller said, alluding to six walks that Sandpoint turned into four runs in the suspended game. “His location is good, his ball moves and he mixes up his pitches very well.”
Shaffer said confidence was the difference.
“I knew I could throw strikes,” he said. “Whenever I start getting into trouble I usually get down on myself. I just stayed confident.”
Four times Shaffer used a strikeout for the final out, including the fourth inning when he got out of a bases-loaded jam.
Shaffer’s hitting also has come around. He helped his cause early when he knocked in the first run on a double in the second inning.
Post Falls added its second run in the fourth inning when Dan Hamilton had the second of three hits and scored from first on a single by Brandon Parker that was misplayed in the outfield.
The Trojans scored their final run in the sixth. Hamilton hit a lead-off triple over the head of center fielder Mike Brown, who misjudged the ball and couldn’t retreat fast enough. Parker drove in Hamilton with a sharp single through a drawn in infield.
Post Falls, which qualified for state for the first time two years ago, was playing in its third consecutive regional title game and second year in a row against Sandpoint.
“It’s nice to go as a No. 1 seed instead of going the long way (play-in game),” Zeller said.
Sandpoint defeated Moscow 6-4 on Wednesday in the completion of a tourney opener that was suspended after two innings Monday because of rain and postponed Tuesday.
“We just weren’t focused enough today,” said Bulldogs coach Dave Siemsen, who noted his team’s four errors. “We played great (Wednesday) against Moscow. It was a different ball team today. It’s all little things that cost you ballgames.”
•At Moscow, pitcher Kaleb Maxwell threw a one-hitter as the Bears eliminated No. 3 Lakeland 5-0. Moscow scored four runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Paul Wimer, a two-run single by Dan Flannigan and an RBI single by Ben Saunders. Lakeland ends its season 6-16.
• Timberlake scored eight runs in the top of the sixth inning to knock off St. Maries in the first game of the 3A District tournament at Timberlake. Matt Douglas scored three times and drove in three runs to lead Timberlake, which advances to play host to Priest River Saturday at 11. St. Maries plays Bonners Ferry in a loser-out game at 1. The St. Maries-Bonners Ferry winner plays the Timberlake-Priest River loser at 3 for a state berth. … Priest River scored five runs in the second inning en route to a 10-3 win over Bonners Ferry. Steven Gleese pitched seven innings to earn the win, scattering five hits and fanning 10.