Cda, Lewiston Post Region Wins Teams To Play For State Berth

Post Falls High School baseball coach John Pettoello thought his team could win its A-1 Region I Tournament opener if it held Coeur d’Alene under five runs.

The Trojans accomplished the first task Thursday, but there was a small problem. They put up a goose egg on their side of the scoreboard.

The Inland Empire League champion Vikings packaged timely hitting with effective pitching to blank the Trojans 4-0 at Viking Field.

In the other tourney opener, Lewiston hammered Lake City 21-7 at Lewiston in a run-rule shortened game.

The top-seeded teams, Coeur d’Alene (16-5) and Lewiston (15-8), will meet in the regional championship game Saturday morning at 10 when the tourney concludes at Lake City. The winner advances to state, which will be held May 15-17 in Boise.

Lake City (11-10) and Post Falls (6-17) will meet in a loser-out game at 1 p.m. The winner will take on the CdA-Lewiston loser for a second state berth at 4.

It wasn’t an offensive slugfest at CdA as the Vikings managed just one more hit (6-5) than Post Falls. But CdA’s hits were punctual.

CdA took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Kirk Gosch that was preceded by a double from Ben Johnston and a single by Andy Gore.

Gore, who went 3 for 3, knocked in the Viks’ second run in the fourth inning when he tripled to center field.

Johnston reached on his second double, a run-scoring hit, in the sixth. He scored moments later on Gore’s second triple that put CdA ahead 4-0.

Post Falls couldn’t manufacture any offense, stranding 11 runners. The Trojans’ problems at the plate were most evident in the fifth inning when they loaded the bases on two walks and a bunt with no outs.

But CdA pitcher Mark Scates hunkered down, striking out the next player he faced, coaxing a short flyout to center and getting a soft groundout to escape unscathed.

“We played well,” Pettoello said. “We held them down enough to (win). We wanted to allow ourselves an opportunity to win, and it was there. We didn’t take advantage of it.”

The Viks committed four errors, causing Scates to work harder than he needed.

“You’ve got to give Scates credit. He got out of the jam,” Pettoello said. “They (the Viks) played well enough to win.”

Said CdA coach Brian Holgate: “Mark really bared down. That’s why he got the ball (today).”

But Holgate thought his team played tight.

“The biggest play of the game I think was when we got the sac fly and scored the run,” Holgate said. “That loosened us up. When you’re the No. 1 seed you have a lot of pressure on you. We had some jitters and Post Falls’ pitcher (Rick Pettit) was really tough, too. He kept us off balance.”

At Lewiston, the Bengals took advantage of poor Lake City pitching for an easy victory.

Timberwolves pitchers allowed 16 walks and hit two Lewiston batters. In the first inning, the Bengals scored six runs on seven walks and two hit batters. In the third, Lewiston put the game away with nine runs on three hits, six walks and two LC errors.

Coeur d’Alene 4, Post Falls 0

Post Falls 000 000 0 - 0 5 0

Coeur d’Alene 010 102 x - 4 6 4

Pettit, Shenfield (6) and Mann; Scates, Hoorelbeke (7) and Ross. W-Scates. L-Pettit.

HITS: Post Falls-Curlee, Ursillo, Ownbey, Heston, Pettit. Coeur d’Alene-Gore 3, Johnston 2, Gosch. 3B-Gore 2. 2B-Curlee, Johnston 2.

Lewiston 21, Lake City 7

Lake City 022 30 - 7 10 4

Lewiston 629 4x - 21 7 1

Potter, Moering (3), Comer (4) and Merk, Orsua (4); Heitman, Morlock (4), Maurer (5) and Frary, Wimer (5). W-Heitman. L-Potter.

HITS: Lake City-Se. Moglia, Sc. Moglia, Potter, Moering, Harlin, Doerzaph, Rod 2, Anderson 2. Lewiston-Mayton, Taylor, Piccenha, Pierce 2, Chance, Burton. 3B-Piccenha. 2B-Harlin, Moering, Se. Moglia.

A-2 District I-II

Defending state champion Lakeland opened state-qualifying play needing very little offense to support the no-hit pitching of Kurt Reese.

The Hawks scored 11 runs in the second to complement Reese as Lakeland pounded Orofino 13-0 in a run-rule shortened game at Rathdrum.

In the other opener, Moscow topped St. Maries 5-1 at Moscow.

Lakeland (14-2) will take on Moscow (14-10) in the district title game Saturday at Moscow. The game begins at 11 a.m. and the winner advances to state, which will be held May 15-17 at Meridian.

The top two teams qualify for state.

Orofino (9-8) will meet St. Maries (11-10) in a loser-out game at 1:30 p.m. The winner will play the loser of the Lakeland-Moscow game for the second state berth.

Reese got 13 of the 15 outs on strikeouts

Lakeland had most of its 11 hits in the decisive 11-run inning.

Moscow pitcher Travis Pool stymied the Lumberjacks, striking out 10 and scattering five hits.

The Bears’ Tony Rinaldi had a two-run single in the third inning to give Moscow a 4-0 lead.

Moscow 5, St. Maries 1

St. Maries 000 001 0 - 1 5 2

Moscow 100 301 x - 5 6 1

Hanson, Nelson (3), Holdahl (5) and Eberlin; Pool and Sumner. W-Pool. L-Nelson (2-4).

HITS: St. Maries - Konkright 2, Duffey, Lounsbury, Watkins. Moscow - Rinaldi 2, Carr 2, Sumner, McPhie. 2B-Rinaldi.

Lakeland 13, Orofino 0

Orofino 000 00 - 0 0 5

Lakeland 0(11)1 1x - 13 11 0

Simpson, Hanna (2), Merry (2) and Sutton; Reese and Reinhart. W-Reese (7-0). L-Simpson.

HITS: Lakeland-Holt, Rothrock, Sasser, Reese 2, White, Baldwin, Skidmore, Banks 2, Reinhart. 2B-Rothrock. 3B-White. HR-Reese (2). , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo