Sandpoint Squeezes By Lc

The suicide squeeze bunt is aptly named only when it backfires. When executed properly, it can take the life out of one’s opponent.

Sandpoint High did just that on Monday as Geordie Osborn deftly dropped a bunt on a high pitch to score the tying run in the top of the seventh inning. The go-ahead run then came home on a wild pitch and the Bulldogs manufactured a daring 8-7 baseball win over Lake City.

The fifth-seeded Bulldogs (11-12) moved into the double-elimination portion of the Region I Tournament and will play No. 1 Lewiston on Thursday. Fourth-seeded Lake City’s season ended at 8-16.

“With Geordie at the plate, I’ll call it with two strikes sometimes,” said Sandpoint coach Dave Martinez, who had a squeeze bunt backfire in the fourth inning. “He’s the best we’ve got at that (squeeze bunting). We’re not hitting as well as we were at the start of the season so we’re trying to score anyway we can.”

Osborn didn’t have two strikes, but he did have to contend with an chin-high pitch. He was thrown out at first, but the bunt scored the tying run and moved Bill Kunzeman to third base. Kunzeman, who had four hits, trotted home on a wild pitch.

“You have to lay it down, or the runner’s out,” Osborn said with a shrug. “I’ve probably squeezed four or five times this season.”

Lake City coach Cory Bridges was as surprised as his fielders. “He (Martinez) has more guts than me,” Bridges said. “I’m not a big fan of the squeeze. Too many things can go wrong.”

Sandpoint’s two-run seventh put a capper on an entertaining, hit-filled contest. The Bulldogs bolted on top 6-3 after two innings.

Lake City closed to 6-4 in the fourth, then bunched three hits off Sandpoint ace Mike Lindgren for three runs in the sixth. Luke Anderson’s single drove in Ryan Packard to put the Timberwolves on top 7-6.

“We did a hell of a job getting some runs against a hell of a pitcher,” said Bridges, whose club had 10 hits to Sandpoint’s 13. “I don’t think many people have got to him this year. I know we hadn’t. We stunk it up early, but we battled back and took the lead.”

Sandpoint took it right back - with a bit of luck along the way.

The Bulldogs’ Travis Reise and Kunzeman singled on shallow pops. “When we went up by one, we had our outfielders play back because we didn’t want to give up any doubles,” Bridges said. “They flared one in there, actually two, that we probably catch if we’re at normal depth.”

Lindgren picked up his fifth win of the year, despite lacking the normal zip on his fastball. Ryan Lomonaco’s dandy diving catch in the seventh ended Lake City’s hopes for a rally.

“That’s a fun one to win right there,” Martinez said. “Mike was able to get the outs at the end.”

Sandpoint 8, Lake City 7

Sandpoint 321 000 2 -8 13 2 Lake City 120 103 0 -7 10 7

Lindgren and Osborn; Ramsrud, Gosch (7) and Anderson. W-Lindgren. L-Ramsrud.

HITS: Sandpoint-Thielbahr 3, Reise 2, Kunzeman 4, Osborn, Lomonaco, Beard, Fankell. Lake City-Shriner 2, Packard 2, Eller, Gosch 2, Scharnhorst, Whiteside, Anderson. 2B-Kunzeman, Eller, Thielbahr, Packard. HR-Thielbahr.