LEGION BASEBALL: Lums win state opener, face Bandits tonight

NAMPA — The Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen ran into a little more resistance than many would have expected on the first day of the Idaho class AA state tournament at Rodeo Park.

But the Lums did enough to post a 12-5 victory over the Blackfoot Broncos, who entered the game with a 2-18 record.

“We didn’t play very well,” Coeur d’Alene coach Darren Taylor said. “It was the first game at state … against a team you’re supposed to beat by 50. But baseball doesn’t work that way. Eventually, we wore them down.”

Coeur d’Alene (32-9) will face the Idaho Falls Bandits (27-8-1), winners of the last two American Legion World Series in 2021 and 2019, in a second-round game tonight at 6 PDT. Idaho Falls beat the host Nampa Chiefs 16-0.

Cooper Larson went 3 for 5 and drove in two runs for the Lums, and Joe DuCoeur was 2 for 5 and knocked in three runs.

After Marcus Manzardo’s RBI single in the top of the third for the Lums broke the ice, DuCoeur followed with a two-run single and Coeur d’Alene was out to a 4-0 lead.

Tyler Vance hit a two-run homer in the third to pull Blackfoot within 4-2.

Larson’s two-run single in the fourth made it 6-2 Coeur d’Alene.

The Lums were hanging on to a 6-3 lead in the top of the sixth — “It was actually getting a little tense,” Taylor said — when Ryan Schneider hit a two-run triple to score Spencer Zeller and Manzardo. Schneider scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-3.

The Bandits beat the Lums 9-1 in a second-round game last year at state.

On the other half of the bracket, the Twin Falls Cowboys, the top seed from Area C, were upset by the fourth seed from that district, the Upper Valley Bulldogs, 6-5.

And the Lewis-Clark Twins, second to Coeur d’Alene in Area A, were beaten 12-4 by the Pocatello Runnin’ Rebels, the third seed from Area C.

Coeur d’Alene 004 203 3 — 12 9 1

Blackfoot 002 102 0 — 5 10 4

AJ Currie, Jesse Brown (5), Cooper Erickson (6) and Joe DuCoeur; Boston Ross, Cole Robinson (4), Alex Nawrocki (6) and Gavyn Cornell.

HITS: Cd’A — Bridge, Manzardo 2, Schneider, DuCoeur 2, Larson 3. Black — Vance, Callister, Capson 2, Cornell 3, Holmes, Kniffin 2. 2B — DuCoeur, Cornell 2, Holmes. 3B — Schneider. HR — Vance.

CLASS AA STATE TOURNAMENT

At Rodeo Park, Nampa

Friday’s Games

Area C No. 4 Upper Valley Bulldogs 6, Area C No. 1 Twin Falls Cowboys 5

Area A No. 1 Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen 12, Area C No. 5 Blackfoot Broncos 5

Area C No. 3 Pocatello Runnin’ Rebels 12, Area A No. 2 Lewis-Clark Twins 4

Area C No. 2 Idaho Falls Bandits 16, tournament host Nampa Chiefs 0

Saturday’s Games

Game 5 — Twin Falls Cowboys (24-16) vs. Lewis-Clark Twins (19-18), 9 a.m.

Game 6 — Blackfoot Broncos (2-19) vs. Nampa Chiefs (12-14), noon

Game 7 — Upper Valley Bulldogs (16-12) vs. Pocatello Runnin’ Rebels (27-13), 3 p.m.

Game 8 — Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen (32-9) vs. Idaho Falls Bandits (27-8-1), 6 p.m.

Sunday’s Games

Game 9 — Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 9 a.m.

Game 10 — Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, noon

Game 11 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m.

Monday’s Games

Game 12 — Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11, 9 a.m.

Game 13 — Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11, noon (semifinals)

Tuesday’s Games

Game 14 — Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13, 9 a.m. (championship game)

Game 15 — Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14, noon (if necessary)