Greg Lee

Despite losing two of three games to Boise, Spokane manager Jeff Garber stopped short of saying every game with Boise hereafter is dire. Actually, Garber says every game through the end of the season is crucial. Especially after the Indians closed out their brief homestand Thursday by falling to the Hawks 9-3 in a Northwest League baseball game at Seafirst Stadium.

Spokane Indians manager Jeff Garber stood in front of the box seats near his dugout with a child in each arm, smiling like the proud father he is. But the main reason the smile adorned his face was his other kids, the Indians, had finally manufactured a victory against the Boise Hawks. It was the other team making a mistake late, not the Indians, that allowed Spokane to escape with a thrilling 7-6 victory in a Northwest League baseball game Wednesday before a crowd of 5,029 at Seafirst Stadium.

Bill Pratt has been named Coeur d'Alene High head girls basketball coach. His hiring must be formally approved at the August school board meeting. Pratt, 51, replaces Sheila Sharp, who resigned after three years. Her teams, largely inexperienced, were 14-50 in that span.

The Northwest League's top two teams picked up Tuesday where they left off two weeks ago at Seafirst Stadium. North Division-leading Boise handed Spokane another tough defeat, tripping the Indians 6-5 in 12 innings before 4,858 fans.

The Spokane Indians probably could use a change of scenery. It's apparently worked for Southern Oregon. The Timberjacks, better on the road than at home, sent the Indians to a third straight defeat Tuesday, 10-7, in a Northwest League baseball game at Seafirst Stadium. Spokane, which won 10 straight at Seafirst to open the season, fell for the sixth time in its last nine games at home. The Indians are 9-10 since a 13-3 start and have won just four of their last 12. After a day off today, Spokane (22-13) travels to Eugene for a five-game set beginning Thursday. Struggling Eugene is in last place in the South Division. Eugene could provide the cure for the ailing Indians, who fell three games behind North Division-leading Boise (25-10), which defeated Portland (19-15) 10-7 in an afternoon game. Southern Oregon will enjoy its trip home after moving into a first-place tie in the South Division with Portland. The bad news, though, is the Timberjacks, 12-7 on the road, are just 7-8 at home. The Timberjacks certainly sent a message to their division foes. It would be surprising if Southern Oregon isn't in the hunt for a divisional crown at the end of August, especially after their display of grit in their final series with Spokane before a crowd of 5,282. The Timberjacks and Indians split their 10 games. Southern Oregon put at least one runner on base in every inning, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after two innings and never trailing thereafter. They finished with 17 hits as each starter had at least one hit apiece. Six players had two or more hits. "We gave away two ballgames (to Southern Oregon), and sometimes when you do that it builds into a last night where they have some confidence and our confidence might have been down a little bit," Spokane manager Jeff Garber said. "We scrapped back, but every time we scrapped back they'd score some runs." Garber said the Indians are looking forward to the day off and the trip to Eugene. "This day off is well-needed," he said. "We're tired. I told the players it's time to gather themselves and remember the enthusiasm they had when they got here." Spokane will begin the second half of the season during the series at Eugene. Garber expects his team to bounce back. "I think we've got a bunch of great competitors and great people," he said. "In rough times character is built. We're going through a rough time but we'll be back." Notes The game Monday didn't end until 2 minutes before midnight, nearly 5 hours after the first pitch. Garber gave Dermal Brown, the leading hitter in the NWL, the night off Tuesday, his first rest after 34 starts. Spokane reliever Aaron Carter was a tough-luck loser Monday. He pitched 3-2/3 innings, striking out seven, walking two and allowing one hit. The winning run, coming on Carter's watch, was unearned. The Indians return home for three games beginning July 29 against rival and perennial league power Boise.

A spectacular lightening storm interrupted an entertaining Northwest League baseball game Monday night at Seafirst Stadium. Then after play resumed following a 1 hour, 13 minute delay, Southern Oregon and Spokane had to go extra innings for a second straight game before the Timberjacks pulled out a 3-2 win on an unearned run in the 11th inning.

Southern Oregon had its share of standouts in a strange comeback victory Sunday afternoon. More than anything, though, the Timberjacks were survivors, outlasting Spokane 14-13 in 10 innings in a Northwest League baseball game that required 4 hours, 27 minutes at Seafirst Stadium. And the splendid debut of the Kansas City Royals' first-round draft selection, Spokane pitcher Dan Reichert, was a faint memory by game's end.

Spokane Indians pitcher Justin Pedersen takes aim and fires away during Monday night's game against the Boise Hawks. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Prior to his final at bat, Spokane's Doug Blosser struck out three consecutive times trying to hit the ball out of Seafirst Stadium. Down 0-2 with two outs and the score tied in the ninth inning, Blosser stopped swinging for the fence. The result: a game-winning, opposite-field home run.

The Spokane Indians and Everett AquaSox extended their pleasure and pain, respectively, Sunday night. For a fourth straight game, Spokane posted a come-from-behind victory. The Indians remained unbeaten at Seafirst Stadium, winning 5-4 in 12 innings in a Northwest League baseball game before 3,522 fans. Everett lost its seventh straight game, and this defeat perhaps stung the most.

The Spokane Indians completed a five-game, season-opening sweep Saturday night, but manager Jeff Garber chose to address the negative rather than the positive errors. "We're fortunate to be 5-0," Garber said after the Indians put on another offensive display in a 9-2 Northwest League victory over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. "We're just making too many physical and mental errors," added Garber. "It's something we're going to give a lot of attention."

Eastern Washington All-Star Tricia Lamb from St. John/Endicott puts up a shot over the Idaho defense. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Dudunake

1. District II running back Laki Ah Hi, from Lewiston, carried his share of the load Saturday, with 63 yards rushing, one touchdown and one two-point conversion. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review 2. All-Star game MVP Brad Rice, from Lewiston, slips a tackle. His big play was a 93-yard touchdown run. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Some would say that American Legion baseball is nothing more than an extension of the high school season. That would be a fair evaluation most of the time. But this year could be the exception.

Lake City's Lindsay Herbert and Post Falls' Austin Lee are The Spokesman-Review's Athletes of the Year in the Panhandle. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

The 13th annual District I-District II All-Star football game Saturday could be the best. More than a half-dozen of the graduating seniors from both teams are headed for NCAA Division I programs next year. District I (representing the schools in the five northern-most counties) topped District II (north-central schools near Lewiston) last year to even the series at six games apiece.

Lindsay Herbert needed just one word to summarize her junior year at Lake City High School. And it probably isn't a word most would guess. After all, she was named first team all-Inland Empire League in her three sports - volleyball, basketball and softball. And she was tabbed first-team all-state in basketball and named the Gatorade Player of the Year. So, Lindsay, how was your year?

For a third straight game at the State A-1 baseball tournament, Coeur d'Alene High was involved in a hitting exhibition. It was defending champion Boise putting on the clinic, though, as the Braves sent the Vikings home early with an 11-1 victory via the 10-run rule Saturday evening to win another state title. After scoring 27 runs in their two wins, the Vikings managed just one against Boise's top starter, Dave Schultz (10-1), who carries a 4.3 grade-point average and is headed to Harvard to play baseball. Not every starter got a hit for Boise; it only seemed like they all did. Three Braves had three hits each, but no hits were bigger than Casey Macomb's. In Boise's eight-run, seven-hit outburst in the third, Macomb came up twice and twice took balls out of Boise's home park at Les Bois Junior High School. Macomb's first, a leadoff homer, didn't hurt the Viks too badly. The last one, a grand slam, gave the Braves the 10-run margin. Boise, which collected its fourth state title in the 1990s under CdA native and coach Larry Price, finished the season at 28-2. The Viks stop at 19-6. Vik sophomore pitcher Kirk Gosch was pulled after Macomb's grand slam. But Gosch actually had the best start of CdA's three games. "He (Gosch) threw strikes and they just hit the snot out of it," CdA coach Brian Holgate said. The Viks were stunned when the Braves ran onto the field after CdA's at bats in the top of the fifth. Holgate didn't know that the game was being played with the 10-run rule. But CdA's players were mostly still rattled by a foul ball in their final at-bat that struck Jim Rupp just above his left lip and below the cheek bone. The ball screamed off the bat and dropped Rupp instantly. He was motionless for about 30 seconds before jumping up and throwing his helmet down and running to the dugout. Rupp's parents were sure their son hadn't suffered any dental damage, but took his to an emergency care center as a precaution. Boise proved it was clearly the best team in the state. And Holgate hopes his program can reach the Braves' level. "We know where we have to get," he said. "I feel bad for the seniors because it hurts to lose. But that's a very good team. They rolled through us. It happens. We ran into a buzz saw." Vik shortstop Nick Rook, a starter on CdA's state runner-up team two years ago, expected to win this time. "Obviously you can't be satisfied with second," Rook said. "You feel fortunate to get here, but I'm not satisfied with this." To an extent, Holgate agreed. "At this moment, I'm not sure (if I'm satisfied)," Holgate said. "Ask me in a week and maybe I'll appreciate it more." The Braves won by the run-rule over Lake City, 12-0, in the semifinals. Boise 11, Coeur d'Alene 1 Coeur d'Alene 001 00 - 1 4 3 Boise 218 0x - 11 12 1 Gosch, Johnston (3) and Ross; Schultz and Kurtz. W-Schultz (10- 1). L-Gosch (2-1). HITS: Coeur d'Alene- Rook 2, Gosch, Gore. Boise-Macomb 3, Wong 3, Zaragosa 3, Robinson 2, Yanke. HR-Macomb 2 (9). 3B-Wong. 2B: Gosch, Zaragosa, Macomb. Skyline 7, Lake City 2 In the game for third and fifth places, the Grizzlies of Idaho Falls prevailed. Skyline came back with its ace, J.J. Newman (12-0), who tossed a one-hitter and struck out 11. And he helped his own cause with a solo homer in the third to put the Grizzlies up 2-0. LC actually tied it at 2 in the fifth. Scott Moglia knocked in a run to account for the T-Wolves' lone hit. Skyline ended at 26-1, its one loss coming to CdA in the semifinals Friday. LC finishes 14-12. LC outfielder Rex Anderson had praise for Newman. "He mixed a good curveball with his fastball, which made him even tougher," Anderson said. "Not to mention the guy could hit." LC won a game at state, something many thought wasn't possible before the tourney. "We showed a lot of class down here," LC outfielder/pitcher Tyson Harlin said. "We had one heck of a season." Skyline 7, Lake City 2 Lake City 000 110 0 - 2 1 1 Skyline 101 023 x - 7 11 1 Harlin, Sc. Moglia (5), Moering (6) and Merk; Newman and Gernant. W-Newman (12-0). L-Harlin (1-4). HITS: Lake City-Sc. Moglia. Skyline-Davis 3, Gernant 3, Baird, Stosich, Newman, White, Miller. HR-Newman, Davis. 3B-Baird. 2B-Gernant 2.

Caleb Bowman of Sandpoint won the state track event he figured he had the best chance of winning after finishing second in the shortest sprint final. Annie Goodson of Kootenai fell short of defending her title in the high jump, but rebounded to capture gold in her newest event, the 400 meters. Bowman and Goodson, both juniors, were the lone winners Saturday from the Panhandle in the 80th high school track and field championships at Boise State University's Ed Jacoby Track. Several other area athletes collected medals.

Call it a state championship prescription: three Advil tablets and seven innings of guts. After pitching nine innings two days earlier, Lakeland junior Kurt Reese wanted to start the State A-2 championship baseball game Saturday afternoon. Reese iced his arm Friday night, popped three pain pills just before the title game and then froze rival Moscow on four hits and 10 strikeouts as Lakeland repeated as state champion with a 3-2 victory at Storey Park. Oh by the way, Reese has never lost in three years of varsity action. The win pushed his career record to 21-0. The state crown is Lakeland's third in five years. The Hawks finish the season 20-3 and Moscow concludes 17-11. The only time Reese may have been feeling the effects of pitching with little rest came in the opening inning. He walked leadoff batter Heath Cash. Cash advanced to third on a wild pickoff attempt and scored on an infield hit by Rob Sumner. Lakeland had scoring opportunities in three of the first four innings, but couldn't convert. The Hawks looked as if they might strand runners at second and third in the fifth, too. Saying afterward that he sensed it was his moment, shortstop Scott Rothrock laced a two-out, two-run single as Lakeland went ahead 2-1. And the turnaround seemed to give Reese a shot of adrenaline in the bottom of the inning when he struck out the Bears in order. Lakeland added an important run in the sixth, again scoring with two outs. Brady White was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a groundout. That's when Lakeland coach Ken Busch brought in a quicker runner, Dan Temple, for White. Seconds later, the change proved brilliant when Bryan Phelps drove in Temple with a single. "That was the only great coaching move I made all tournament," Busch quipped. Moscow pulled within one in its next at bat, taking advantage of three Lakeland errors. But Reese worked out of the jam, stranding a Bears runner at third with a strikeout and an unassisted putout on a grounder. "It's a little sore now and it was sore to begin (the game)," Reese said of his arm. "But when we got the lead and I struck them out the next inning I kind of sensed we were going to win. But I was really tense at 1-0." Asked how he was able to come back after Thursday, Reese said: "God just helped me. I give a lot of credit to Him." Rothrock said he stepped to the plate in the fifth inning knowing he had to do something. "Everyone has had their chance this year and it was my chance," he said. "It was there for me. I started last year, but this feels great. It's the most important (championship) because I'm a senior." Lakeland exacted some revenge with the win. The Bears defeated the Hawks 4-1 in the district title game. Lakeland beat Moscow in three of four games this spring. "It's a big rivalry every time we play them," Reese said. "We knew it was going to be tough today. They played real good." Moscow coach Kevin Winterrowd wanted to shoulder the blame for what he called poor decisions on his part. "It's not the end of the word, even though they might feel like it now," Winterrowd said. Reese knows what Lakeland can do for an encore next year. "We'll go for three next year," he said. Lakeland 3, Moscow 2 Lakeland 000 021 0 - 3 7 4 Moscow 100 001 0 - 2 4 1 Reese and Dockter; Jensen, Pool (6) and Sumner. W-Reese (10- 0). L-Jensen (1-6). HITS: Lakeland-Reese 2, Holt, Rothrock, Phelps, Skidmore, Dershem. Moscow-Carr 2, Sumner, Lambert. 2B-Reese.

The Coeur d'Alene High baseball team will play in the State A-1 championship game tonight largely because of a second straight dose of Casey on the mound and his teammates at the bat. That's Casey as in the lanky 6-foot-6 right-hander Casey Hoorelbeke, who picked up a second victory in two days in relief as the Vikings topped previously undefeated Skyline of Idaho Falls 15-8 Friday. Coeur d'Alene (19-5), which has scored 27 runs in two state victories, will need another offensive outburst when it takes on defending state champion Boise (27-2).

A-1 track and field Austin Lee thinks the word repeat has a nice ring to it. Lee continued Post Falls High's string of state titles in the shot put Friday by defending his crown in the 80th annual Idaho high school track and field championships. The senior pulled off the repeat without having to throw in the finals. He took three consecutive throws without a break during his flight, extending each put by a foot or more, capped by his winning toss of 56-0.

Small-school track Missy Ennis didn't have enough time for the disappointment to fully set in. After receiving a third-place medal in the high jump - the event she was favored to win - the Priest River High senior had to run off for her third sprint preliminary. Therein was her problem: When you try to do everything, it's often difficult to give your best in your best event.