Sandpoint finishes with win
BOISE – It wasn’t in the game they wanted, but the Sandpoint Bulldogs closed out the season with a win for the second year in a row.
Cory Hawkins hit a two-out, two-run double in the top of the eighth inning, capping a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over Rigby in the State 4A consolation championship game Saturday at Bishop Kelly High.
“It was a good game,” Sandpoint coach Mike Givens said. “We made a few mistakes early on, but we were able to come back and finish the year on a positive note.”
Sandpoint, which beat Bishop Kelly for the state championship last year, fell into the consolation bracket with a 3-1 loss to Jerome on Thursday. But the Bulldogs refused to go away quietly, battling back to beat Bishop Kelly again in a loser-out game Friday and rallying to top the scrappy Trojans Saturday morning.
“You have to give credit to Rigby,” Givens said. “They just kept fighting all game long. But our guys kept fighting as well and I was pleased with how they hung in there and responded late in the game.”
Rigby, playing in its first state tournament in 23 years, broke through in the third inning by loading the bases and scoring on a walk and a fielder’s choice for a 2-0 lead.
Sandpoint responded in the top of the fourth, getting a solo home run from Cody Reichart and an RBI single from Dusty Hawkins to tie the game.
But the Trojans answered right back in their half of the fourth, mounting a two-out rally. Chris Blanchard singled, Matt Wood walked and Ryker Morris and Braden Poole hit back-to-back RBI singles to give Rigby a 4-2 lead.
Reichart did some more damage for the Bulldogs in the sixth. The junior catcher doubled and scored on a single by Woody Hawkins to cut the lead in half.
Sandpoint tied the game in the top of the seventh when Cory Hawkins came home on a balk by Rigby pitcher Ross Marlow. Jake Semones advanced to third on the balk, but Marlow escaped without giving up the go-ahead run. Rigby, however, went down in order in the seventh and the game went to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Marlow got the first two outs with relative ease before getting into trouble. The senior right-hander walked Ryan Armbruster and Ricky Stewart to bring up Cory Hawkins, Sandpoint’s dangerous leadoff hitter.
Hawkins didn’t disappoint. The junior slapped a double to the gap in left-center, scoring both runners and giving Sandpoint its first lead of the game.
“Cory’s been our best hitter all year,” Givens said. “He stepped up again for us today.”
Rigby scored one run and put the tying run on first base in the bottom of the eighth, but Tyler Lichty shut the door for Sandpoint.