COEUR d'ALENE - At the major league baseball level, most pitchers can't hit well.

At the prep level, pitchers are expected to pitch and hit many times, and that is exactly what Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen pitcher Dominic Conigliaro did Thursday night at Thorco Field.

Conigliaro, a left-hander, pitched a complete game, allowing one unearned run and striking out three. The No. 6 hitter also went 3 for 4 with two RBIs as Coeur d'Alene beat the Northern Lakes Mountaineers 8-1 in class AA North Idaho League play.

"I don't have the most overpowering stuff, so I try to make the defense work and get the ball in play," Conigliaro said. "I thought for the most part they did a pretty good job of making plays."

At the plate, Conigliaro said he was trying to think about driving the ball to all parts of the field.

"I was just looking for fastballs over the plate and to drive them," Conigliaro said.

The game looked to be an offensive battle after the first inning.

The Mountaineers (1-3, 0-1 North Idaho League) took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after shortstop Kenny Cooper scored on a Coeur d'Alene error. Cooper went 2 for 4 for the Mountaineers.

But the Lumbermen (13-1, 3-0) responded with five runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 5-1 lead.

"We put some on them right away and then we can kind of play our game from there on out," Coeur d'Alene assistant coach C.J. Ketron said. "That's kind of been our consistency all year is when a team puts up some runs, we answer pretty well."

Coeur d'Alene started the first inning with four straight singles.

Center fielder Devin Kluss singled to left field to drive in leadoff batter Stephen Vaudreuil, tying the game at one.

Later, Conigliaro singled to left to drive in Parker Gabrielson and Cody Garza to give the Lumbermen a 3-1 advantage in the first. Kluss and Conigliaro also scored that inning, giving the Lumbermen a 5-1 lead heading into the second inning.

The game remained 5-1 until Coeur d'Alene right fielder Sam Slusser hit a triple over the center fielder's head with one out in the bottom of the fifth, driving in Jarred Hall and Conigliaro, giving the Lumbermen a 7-1 lead.

The Mountaineers managed four hits for the game.

"I think that we're just trying to find out what our general approach at the dish is," Northern Lakes coach Pat Capone said. "Coach (Bruce) Amende and I are bringing something a little more advanced to these guys. We're struggling right now. That doesn't mean we're going to lower our expectations for us at the dish. It just means we need to practice more."

Capone also acknowledged Conigliaro's performance on the mound.

"I'm not going to take anything away from him," Capone said. "He had our guys off balance all day."

Northern Lakes plays at a Missoula tournament today through Sunday.

Coeur d'Alene will play the Spokane Expos on Monday at 5 p.m. at Thorco Field.

Northern Lakes 100 000 0 - 1 4 3

Coeur d'Alene 500 021 x - 8 8 5

Brian Howell, J.J. Mackesy (6) and J.P. Zaken; Dominic Conigliaro and Reilly Cherry.

W - Conigliaro (2-1). L - Howell (1-2).

HITS: NL - Cooper 2, Hanson, Baker. Cd'A - Vaudreuil, Gabrielson, Garza, Kluss, Conigliaro 3, Slusser. 2B - Conigliaro. 3B - Slusser.