Spartans use senior-laden lineup to earn program’s first state bid

It’s been a season of firsts for the Priest River High baseball team and the milestones kept coming Saturday.

The top-seeded Spartans drubbed host Timberlake 12-0 in a run-rule shortened contest to claim their first 3A District I championship and the first state tournament berth in the program’s 11-year history.

“We’re so proud of these kids,” said veteran coach Lou Musso, who will retire at the end of the season. “We had five of these guys start for us when they were freshmen. We took our lumps early and we knew we’d take our lumps, but we also knew there was potential there.”

Senior-laden Priest River (20-3) dished out the bruises this season. The Spartans outscored opponents 22-3 in the tournament. They outscored defending district champ Timberlake 42-8 in four meetings this season. Priest River’s only loss to an Idaho school was in a non-league contest to Post Falls.

The Spartans meet District VI runner-up Sugar-Salem (15-7), a play-in winner Saturday, in the opening round of the State 3A tournament Thursday at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore.

St. Maries (14-9) will join Priest River at state after eliminating Bonners Ferry (9-15) 6-3 and knocking off Timberlake (7-17) 12-2 in six innings in the other two games at Spirit Lake. The Lumberjacks will face the District V champ in their opener.

The start of the title game was delayed 75 minutes by rainy weather, but that didn’t stop Priest River from getting off to a fast start. Chris Johnson ripped a two-run double, and Casey DeLand and Steve Walkup added RBI singles in a five-run first inning.

“We came out hitting and picked up some runs early,” Johnson said.

Jake Flaherty had run-scoring singles in the second and third and Intermountain League MVP Jeremy Patterson drove in another run with a single to center as the Spartans’ lead grew to 10-0 after three.

Mike Ramsey, the only junior in the starting lineup, drilled a two-run single in the fourth to cap the scoring.

The Spartans often start an all-senior lineup when Stephen Gleese pitches, but he got the win over Bonners Ferry on Thursday. Johnson (8-1) limited the Tigers to four hits.

“It’s exciting,” Patterson said. “We just stayed together and worked hard every practice. It’s still settling in.”

Motivation was high with 10 seniors on the team and a retiring coach, Patterson said.

“We’re all playing for coach,” Patterson said. “We think we owe it to him.”

Musso gave credit to the players.

“We get together in the summer once or twice a week to practice, whether we’re playing anyone or not,” Musso said. “They’re the kind of kids that call me on Sundays and say, ‘Coach, will you let us come in and hit?’ They’ve spent an enormous amount of time getting ready for this.”

Timberlake had runners on base in every inning, but Johnson ended three innings with strikeouts.

Seven different Spartans knocked in runs. Patterson and Jeremy Willig, who was hit by a pitch three times, each scored three runs.

In other games, Ryan Eberlin (5-2) struck out five and pitched a four-hitter, and Tucker Baker went 2 for 4 with three RBIs as St. Maries defeated Timberlake 12-2 in six innings for the other state berth. Kevin Betz, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the fifth, went 2 for 2 with two doubles and two RBIs for the Lumberjacks. … Eberlin went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and earned the save by stranding two runners in the seventh as St. Maries opened its day with a 6-5 win that eliminated Bonners Ferry.