PRIEST RIVER — Priest River loaded the bases three times in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game one of a doubleheader against St. Maries to chop its 5-1 deficit to 5-4.

Trace Wicks struck out the final Priest River batter to capture the victory.

“When you’re facing a guy that can’t get a strike out once in every six pitches, you have to wait for your pitch,” Priest River baseball coach Mark Schultz said. “They weren’t chasing anything up high and that kid wasn’t delivering. We fought pitches.”

The Spartans had its fair share of opportunities with men in scoring position during the first game. During the bottom of the fourth, St. Maries retired the side with a man in scoring position, and in the bottom of the sixth Priest River left the bases loaded.

“We battled through a couple of errors and mistakes,” Schultz said. “We scored one in the beginning and we’d get guys on base and we just wouldn’t get the hit we needed to get to score.”

The Spartans brought home one runner in the first inning and were held scoreless for six straight innings until their decisiveness at the plate late in the game almost brought them back.

“That’s just us being a young team,” Schultz said. “They showed up in the seventh and almost stuck it out. No one quit, they kept fighting and fighting until the end.”

Senior pitcher Everett Hannah had a phenomenal day on the mound for Priest River.

He gave up just two runs on three hits. He also had 11 strikeouts and just one walk in five innings of work.

“He threw really well; he’s done that for four years,” Schultz said. “Unfortunately, in high school we have a pitch count. If we hadn’t, he wouldn't have come out; he was dialed in.”

Hannah also went 2-for-4 at the plate with two doubles.

Nadin Thompson came in relief for Hannah in the sixth inning and gave up three runs on three hits and walked one.

The Lumberjacks were ahead 2-1 at the top of the sixth and put the bats together against Thompson and extended its lead 5-2.

The second game between the nonleague opponents got postponed to a later date due to darkness.

The game got called after the top of the fourth inning.

The Spartans held a 9-4 advantage over the Lumberjacks heading into the top of the fourth, but St. Maries scored nine runs during the top of the fourth before it got called.

Colton Brooks handled pitching duties for most of the second game; he allowed six runs on four hits and struck out three.

Priest River fell to 1-2 on the season and will next play Orofino on Friday, March 25 at Priest River High School.

FIRST GAME

St. Maries 100 103 0 — 5 6 2

Priest River 100 000 3 — 4 3 7

Wyatt Holmes, Trace Wicks (6). Everett Hannah, Nadin Thompson (6).

HITS: SM — Wicks, Holmes 2, Larson Holder, Millilken. PR — Berns, Hannah 2. 2B — Hannah (2).

SECOND GAME

St. Maries 400 9 — 13 7 7

Priest River 333 0 — 9 5 6

Game called after 4 innings due to darkness.

Shaun Huafer. Nadin Thompson, Colton Brooks (2), Kyle Patterson (2).

HITS: SM — Wicks 2, Holmes , Larson, Abell, Huafer, Renner. PR — Troudt, Thompson 2, Isengerger, Bowen. 2B — Wicks, Holmes.