Buhl, Reynolds Wrap Up Hawks

State A-2 baseball

Fear can often be a motivational force. It worked for the Buhl High baseball team Thursday. Lakeland would be wise to try it today or the Hawks may be going home early.

Concerned about Lakeland’s offensive capabilities, Buhl was the team that lit the scoreboard up, posting a 10-0 run-rule shortened victory over the Hawks in opening-round play of the State A-2 tournament at Treasure Valley Community College’s Elks Memorial Field.

The Hawks (20-7), whose 13-game winning streak was snapped, will take on Bear Lake (17-4) in a loser-out game this morning at 10 PDT. If Lakeland wins, the Hawks will play for the consolation title Saturday. Buhl (23-5) will meet Bishop Kelly (13-14) in the semifinals. In the other openers, Bishop Kelly handled Bear Lake 12-4, Wood River edged Sugar-Salem 5-4 in nine innings and favored Kuna beat Orofino 9-7.

Buhl took just 1 hour and 15 minutes to dispose of Lakeland. “We feared this Lakeland team,” Buhl coach Gary Krumm said. “We knew they were big, hard-hitting kids.”

Buhl used a 5-foot-7 left-handed pitcher to subdue the giant-like Hawks.

Lakeland, which brought a .324 team batting average into the game, was held to two hits by crafty Aric Reynolds, who mixed his pitches well and had the Hawks swinging abnormally.

Reynolds (12-3) struck out five and allowed just one other base runner, that coming via a walk.

“He’s done that a lot for us this year,” Krumm said. “He doesn’t throw real hard, but he’s a gritty, gutty kid. He’s kind of our horse. We ride him around a lot.”

Appropriately, Reynolds knocked in the 10th run in the bottom of the fifth with a looping single to center. Lakeland’s Bryan Phelps charged the ball and threw a strike to catcher Dan Dockter, but Corey Hamilton slid safely - just beating the tag. In Buhl’s four-run third inning, three Indians were behind 0-2 in the count to Lakeland pitcher Kevin Reese only to get hits. Two of those hits drove in three runs.

The Indians followed that outburst with four more runs in the fourth. A two-run double by T.J. Cline gave Buhl a 7-0 lead and chased Reese.

It appeared as if Lakeland would stay alive for at least one more inning when reliever Kris Jeppsen got a groundout and strikeout to open the fifth inning. But Hamilton, behind 0-2 in the count, doubled to left center, setting the stage for Reynolds’ game-ending hit.

“Our hitters did a good job,” Krumm said. “We had a lot of 0-2 base hits. We hit throughout the lineup. We’re not spectacular by any means, but we do things right. We’re fundamentally sound.”

Of Lakeland’s three baserunners, one was put out on an inning-ending double play and another picked off.

Lakeland coach Ken Busch tried to put a positive spin on the loss.

“I don’t think we played that poorly. I think they’re a good team and their pitcher took it to us,” Busch said. “We’re still a good hitting team, no matter what anybody saw today. Their pitcher shut us down, and today we got beat by the better team.”

Busch expects his team to bounce back.

“This is a hard situation because they came looking at a possible state championship and now they’ve got to re-focus and go for the consolation championship,” Busch said.

Buhl 10, Lakeland 0

Lakeland 000 00 - 0 2 1

Buhl 014 41 - 10 11 0

Reese, Jeppsen (4) and Dockter; Reynolds and Hamilton. W-Reynolds (12-3). L-Reese (6-3). HITS: Lakeland - Skidmore, McMillen. Buhl - Hamilton 3, Cline 2, Thornborrow 2, Van Elderson 2, Reynolds. 2B - Hamilton 2, Van Elderson, Cline.