Lewis-Clark Twins win state title

The Lewis-Clark Twins used a familiar formula to secure the Class AA American Legion state championship Monday.

The Twins combined hot hitting with solid pitching and defense as they handled the upstart Idaho Falls Russets 12-1 in a run-rule shortened seven innings at McEuen Field in Coeur d’Alene.

Idaho Falls earned the matchup with Lewis-Clark earlier in the day when it upset the favored and defending state champ Boise Senators 13-8.

Lewis-Clark (46-10) advances to regionals, which begin Thursday in Yakima. The Twins will take on the host Yakima Beetles. L-C and Yakima played twice earlier this summer in a tournament in Boise where the teams split.

The 2005 season continues to remind L-C coach Tom Grunenfelder of 2001, when his Twins finished runner-up in the Legion World Series.

“Like I said a week ago, you’ve just got to get hot at the right time,” Grunenfelder said. “And you’ve got to have some breaks and some things happen that normally don’t happen like last night.”

Grunenfelder was alluding to his team’s improbable comeback in the semifinal against Boise.

The Twins trailed 9-2 going into the eighth, but rallied behind three two-run homers in the eighth and a walk-off two-run homer by Kyle Greene in the ninth for the 10-9 decision.

Greene picked up Monday where he left off Sunday. He had four hits and six RBIs, including his team-record 24th homer. He now has 98 RBIs for the season, three short of the team’s single season record.

“We just came out playing every day like it was our last game,” said Greene, who will return to Walla Walla Commuity College this fall for his sophomore year. “We just have to keep playing our best ball every day (at regionals). We can’t take a pitch or an inning off. We have to keep swinging it like we have been.”

Right-hander Andy Pottenger went the distance for L-C, allowing seven hits while striking out three after allowing Idaho Falls (29-18) its lone run in the first inning.

Boise ended its season at 33-3.