Trojans, Bulldogs Can’t Beat Weather

It’s almost as if Inland Empire League baseball teams Lewiston and Lake City played in protest of the rainy weather Thursday.

While a steady drizzle forced suspension of the Sandpoint at Post Falls league twinbill, visiting Lewiston took a wild 11-10 decision over Lake City in a 3-hour marathon.

Just one game was played at LC. But at Post Falls, umpires called the game in the top of the fifth after the pitching mound became too slick.

Sandpoint had regained the lead at 4-3 when the game was stopped.

Post Falls coach John Pettoello isn’t sure what the league rules say about the suspension of a game. The umpires said the game would have been declared official if at least five innings had been completed.

Pettoello expressed frustration with the lack of decent weather.

“You can’t play in this stuff, yet the kids want to play because we haven’t had games,” Pettoello said.

His Trojans scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. But in the top of the fifth the Bulldogs used an RBI triple by Ken Fankel and a run-scoring single by Jared Herrington to jump ahead 4-3.

Herrington moved to second on a passed ball and Casey Banks walked, bringing up pitcher Mike Lindgren. Post Falls pitcher Brad Medlock, whose plant foot had been slipping in the inning, threw two balls to Lindgren. Then plate umpire Doug Brown called time to inspect the mound. A few minutes later after watching Medlock take some practice throws Brown suspended the game.

No date has been set for completing the game and playing the second contest.

At Lake City, Lewiston built a seemingly comfortable 8-4 lead before the Timberwolves scored four in the bottom of the fourth to tie the Bengals.

Lewiston followed with three runs in the fifth. LC added two in the bottom of the inning to cut Lewiston’s lead to one.

Neither team scored again, although both had opportunities.

Lewiston (6-8 overall, 4-3 in league) committed nine errors. LC slipped to 5-10, 3-6.

Just a week remains in the regular season before the state-qualifying regional tournament begins.

In a non-league game at Lakeland, Coeur d’Alene led 3-1 going into Lakeland’s half of the third inning, but the game was suspended.

Because several other league games must be made up, the Lakeland-CdA game isn’t likely to be completed, CdA coach Paul Mather said.

Softball

Rain also forced postponement of a handful of softball games.

In an IEL doubleheader between Lewiston and Lake City, the game was called in the third inning with homestanding LC ahead 3-0.

No makeup date has been set.

Just a week remains in regular season before the state-qualifying regional tournament begins.

, DataTimes