Anstine, Vikings Advance In Thriller

Coeur d’Alene senior pitcher Jeff Anstine had just won his biggest high school game, but he stopped well short of accepting all the credit.

After the Vikings provided the lefthander with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, Anstine recorded two of the final outs by srikeout.

They were Anstine’s only strikeouts of the contest as Coeur d’Alene prevailed 3-1 over Centennial in a wonderfully played State A-1 Tournament opener Thursday at Simplot Stadium.

“I battled pretty good at the end, but overall I think I could have done better,” Anstine (7-2) said, grinning sheepishly.

CdA (15-11 overall) meets Hillcrest of Idaho Falls (23-2) in the semifinals tonight at 6:30 PDT at Simplot Stadium. Hillcrest advanced with a 6-1 win over Mountain Home.

In the other openers at Rodeo Park in Nampa, Lewiston rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to trip Minico 10-9 and defending champion Boise won 4-3 over Idaho Falls.

Lewiston (22-6) will meet Boise (24-3) in the other semifinal at Nampa tonight.

In loser-out games, Mountain Home (9-17) takes on Centennial (14-14) and Minico (21-7) meets Idaho Falls (11- 14).

Coeur d’Alene 3, Centennial 1 (9) Anstine was one of a gloveful of heroes Thursday. But several Viks - including some of the younger players - played key roles. Consider some of the factors:

Team defense. CdA committed just one error, and Anstine, first baseman Nick Groth and shortstop Nick Rook combined to pick off three Patriots trying to steal second base.

A game-saving defensive gem occurred in the bottom of the seventh. Pats pitcher Jon Crozier, who fanned 15 Vikings in a masterfully thrown game, laced a single to tie the score 1-1. But Ben Sparrow, running for Crozier, was thrown out at the plate when he tried to score from second on Mark Cleverly’s single. Viks left fielder Travis Lovejoy wasted no time hitting third baseman Jesse Hoorelbeke and Hoorelbeke’s relay was a strike in catcher Mike Dorame’s glove. Dorame barely had to move as he tagged Sparrow a split-second after receiving the throw.

In the top of the seventh, CdA broke the scoreless tie when sophomore Ben Ziegler, a late-season addition from the junior varsity, hit a triple past the Pats’ right fielder to score Nick Rook, who had reached on an error to lead off the inning. The Viks, however, stranded what could have proved to be the winning runs. CdA had runners on second and third with no outs but couldn’t score a second run.

Finally, enter junior Todd Hughes, who had struck out in three previous atbats. With two outs and two runners on, Hughes lined a sharp single through the hole at shortstop, scoring two runs.

“All I was thinking about (at the plate) was trying to get refocused after the three strikeouts,” Hughes said.

Hughes was batting in the lead-off spot, a position normally occupied by senior second baseman Bruce Coppess. But Coppess was sitting out a one-game athletic code suspension and will return tonight.

Another sophomore, Ben Johnston, played admirably at second in place of Coppess as he cleanly fielded four ground balls and was on the front end of a double play.

“Win or lose, I told myself that I was glad I was part of this game,” first-year CdA coach Paul Mather said.

Coeur d’Alene 3, Centennial 1

CdA 000 000 102 - 3 4 1

Centennl 000 000 100 - 1 10 3

Anstine and Dorame; Crozier and Shafer.

HITS: Coeur d’Alene - Dorame, Ziegler, Goodwin, Hughes. Centennial - Brown 2, Cleverly 2, Wickam, Sawyer, Turpen, Booth, Cozier, Shafer. 3B: Ziegler. 2B: Booth.

Firth 1, Wallace 0

The Miners lost a heart-breaker at the Idaho A-3 tournament at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., surrendering the game’s only run with three walks and an error with two outs in the first inning.

John Heyn pitched admirably for Wallace and teammate Ryan Nipp threw out two runners attempting to steal second base. But the Miners stranded two runners in the second inning and three in the third.

Wallace plays Nampa Christian today at 1, with Owen Cotter starting as pitcher.

Firth 100 000 0 - 1 3 0

Wallace 000 000 0 - 0 4 1

Mallard and Telford. Heyn and Nipp. W-Mallard. L-Heyn (5-1).

HITS: Firth-Leavitt, Simmons, Jones. Wallace-Hulsizer 2, Cotter, Delaney. 2B-Jones.