Vikings, Timberwolves Advance To State Playoffs

High school baseball

Coeur d’Alene and Lake City made it through the A-1 Region I baseball tournament Saturday.

Both teams used Lewiston High as their stepping stone to the state tournament next week in Boise.

Coeur d’Alene was the first to advance, defeating the Bengals 8-5 in the championship game that started the day.

The Vikings (17-5) used clutch hitting from seniors Ben Johnston and Mark Scates in the fifth inning to break open a close game. Johnston slapped a two-run single into left field that tied the game at 5. Scates came up two batters later and also produced a two-run single that provided the winning runs.

“I was just trying to foul the pitch off,” Johnston said. “It’s nice that this team pulled together so well with all the seniors we have.”

The Vikings’ Scott Ross (6-1) got the win.

“We were going well throughout the game and then just broke down in the fifth inning,” Lewiston coach Tom Grunenfelder said.

Lewiston hoped to regroup in the consolation game against Lake City and earn the second berth to state. Lake City made the consolation game by defeating Post Falls 15-3 in the loser-out game that followed the championship.

The T-Wolves found their batting stroke in time and defeated the Bengals 17-12 in a slugfest.

LC’s Scott Moglia (3-0) got the win after entering the game in the second inning. Moglia also had three hits.

“We put it in our minds to begin the game that we would beat them this time,” Moglia said. “I saw the ball real well at the plate and felt in control on the mound.”

After taking the lead for good in the third inning at 11-10, LC (13-10) earned its first trip to state in the school’s history, and Lewiston finished 16-10.

“This is a tremendous group of kids as both humans and scholarathletes,” LC coach Cory Bridges said. “This team hits the ball as well as any team I’ve coached.”

To set up the matchup with Lewiston, LC made quick work of Post Falls in the loser-out game. The T-Wolves’ Jeff Brennan (5-1) got the win, and also had three hits. LC used a nine-run second inning to pull away from the Trojans (7-18).

After the LC consolation victory, a group of Coeur d’Alene players congratulated the T-Wolves. Many of the players compete on the same team in American Legion. For the first time since CdA’s split, though, they will travel to state together.

Coeur d’Alene 8, Lewiston 5

Lewiston 200 210 0 - 5 8 2

Coeur d’Alene 012 041 X - 8 10 4

Heitman and Frary. Ross, Gosch (6) and Gore. W- Ross (6-1). L- Heitman (6-3).

HITS: CdA- Rupp, Johnston 2, Hoorelbeke 2, Wagner 2, Gore, Rook, Scates, Gosch. Lewiston- Mayton 2, Chrisinger, Maurer, Pickenha, Jackson, Thompson, Frary. 2B- Thompson, Johnston. 3B- Hoorelbeke, Mayton, Frary. HR- Wagner, Gosch.

Lake City 15, Post Falls 3

Post Falls 000 21 - 3 5 3

Lake City 190 3X - 15 12 1

Brennan and Merk. Ownbey and Pettit. W- Brennan (5-1). L - Ownbey.

HITS: PF- Curlee, Ursillo, Pettit, Miller. LC- Hayes 2, Moglia, Potter, Harlin, Brennan 3, Griffin 2, Anderson 2. 2B- Hayes, Griffin.

Lake City 17, Lewiston 12

Lake City 236 033 0 - 17 11 3

Lewiston 442 002 0 - 12 10 2

Harlin, Moglia (2), Brennan (6) and Merk. Squires, White (3), Moorlock (5) and Frary. W-Moglia (3-0). L-White (2-2).

HITS: LC- Sean Moglia 2, Scott Moglia 3, Potter, Merk, Harlin 2, Brennan, Anderson. Lew- Mayton, Chrisinger 3, Pierce, Squires 2, Morlock 2, Muaurer. 2B- Chrisinger 2. HR- Potter.

Lakeland, Wallace advance

Lakeland High School qualified for state by defeating St. Maries 7-3 in the consolation game of the A-2 District I-II tournament in Moscow. Wallace High will also return to state by virtue of a 3-2 win over Lapwai in a A-3 District I-II playoff.

Lakeland was upset in the championship game by Moscow 4-1, due in large part to six errors. In the consolation game, though, Kurt Reese pitched on just two days’ rest to give the Hawks a chance to repeat as A-2 state champions.

Moscow 4, Lakeland 1

Moscow 100 010 2 - 4 3 0

Lakeland 100 000 0 - 1 4 6

Yarno and Sumner; Banks and Rinehart. W-Yarno. L-Banks (6-1).

HITS: Moscow-Sumner, Carr, McPhie. Lakeland-Rothrock, White, Banks, Phelps. 2B-White.

Lakeland 7, St. Maries 3

St. Maries 200 010 0 - 3 6 4

Lakeland 150 100 x - 7 11 2

Willard, Duffey (4) and Eberlin; Reese and Dockter. W-Reese 8-0. L-Willard.

HITS: St. Maries-Duffey 2, Willard 2, Eberlin, Peters. Lakeland-Holt 3, Rothrock, White 2, Skidmore 3, Dockter 2. 3B-Holt 2, Dockter. 2B-Skidmore, Dockter, Willard.

Wallace 3, Lapwai 2

Wallace 000 100 1 - 2 4 3

Lapwai 001 200 X - 3 7 6

Schilleriff, Thomas (7) and Lavigne; Bennett, Sobotta (5) and Halsted; W-Schilleriff (5-3) L-Bennett (3-2) S-Thomas (2).

HITS: Lapwai - Sobotta, Piccard, Fiazio, Kennedy. Wallace - Lee, Thomas, Johnson, Schillereff 2, Bokelman 2, 2B-Fazio, Bokelman 2.