One bad inning costly for Lumberjacks vs. Meridian

Coeur d’Alene pitcher Sam Slusser had 14 strikeouts.

It was one bad inning – like it’s been most times this season for Slusser – that derailed the Lumbermen.

The Meridian Rangers took advantage of three hit batters in the sixth inning to score all five of their runs as they shut out Coeur d’Alene 5-0 in an Idaho American Legion state tournament opener Tuesday at Thorco Field.

CdA (30-21) can still come back and have a say in crowning a champion if not win it outright. But it will be a long road, beginning this afternoon in a loser-out game against the Boise Gems (25-17) at 1.

In other openers, Lewis-Clark tripped Nampa 2-1; the Boise Capitals topped Pocatello 14-9; and Twin Falls edged the Boise Gems 4-2 in 11.

In semifinals tonight, LC (29-22) takes on the Boise Capitals (33-11) and Twin Falls (35-17) faces Meridian (23-13).

In the other loser-out game, Nampa (23-10) faces Pocatello (34-14).

Meridian 5, Coeur d’Alene 0: Slusser was cruising along going into the sixth inning. He got his eighth strikeout to start the inning, but then loaded the bases by hitting three batters.

The mistakes came back to haunt him. Talon Kreft knocked in the first run on an infield single. Seconds later on the first pitch, Nathan Pena doubled down the right field line, scoring two. Then on what appeared to be a routine chopper to second, Aahron Coats beat out the throw, and two scored.

“I’m a big believer that this game has a lot of karma in it,” CdA coach Zach Clanton said. “We believe when we have an 0-2 count we miss six inches off the plate. Sam just missed his spot and on the chopper it was a ball we couldn’t do anything with. This game rewards people that do the right things for the most part. Unfortunately we didn’t do what we were supposed to do in that situation.”

CdA couldn’t manufacture any offense. The Lums didn’t get their second hit until the eighth inning.

The game started as a pitcher’s duel. Through four innings they had combined for 13 strikeouts – seven by Slusser.

“I told them that in a game like that we have to find a way to manufacture some runs,” Clanton said.

Meridian pitcher Blake McFadden kept CdA off balance, striking out 10.