Sandpoint junior Jack Zimmerman came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs against Moscow in Game 2 of the Class 4A District 1 best-of-3 series at Memorial Field on Thursday.

He hit a triple down the right field line, scoring two runs to give the Bulldogs a 5-1 lead over The Bears.

Austin Dillon struck out the final Moscow batter during the top of the seventh to seal the 6-1 Bulldogs' victory.

"I'm just so proud of these kids," Sandpoint baseball coach Chase Tigert said. "We had that rough patch earlier in the season and we had a day of practice where we talked for an hour in the classroom. From that point forward we've been doing everything that we know we're capable of doing."

This win sends Sandpoint to the Class 4A Idaho state baseball tournament on Thursday, May 19, at Bishop Kelly High School.

Dillon pitched a complete game, giving up one run on two hits and striking out six.

"He's just playing so incredible right now," Tigert said. "He went out there, pitched a complete game and mixed his pitches. He's such a great addition and just a great kid."

During the top of the fifth, the two-Inland Empire League foes were deadlocked at one run apiece.

With one out, Moscow pitcher Connor Isakson walked Dillon.

The next at-bat, senior Blake Sherrill laid down a bunt for an RBI single to pull Sandpoint ahead 2-1.

"I just cleared my mind and thought about getting my job done," Sherrill said. "I knew I had to get it down and get on base. After that it was crazy. It was just bomb after bomb."

Colin Roos reached home next following a sac-fly from Drew Lehman, giving the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead.

Sandpoint has now won four out of its last five games.

"They've been working so hard," Tigert said. "To see them go out and execute was incredible."

During the second half of the season, Sandpoint successfully managed to turn its fortune around.

"We're in a really good place right now," Tigert said. "The energy is great, the positivity is there and the execution has just been great."

In its last 10 games, Sandpoint is 7-3. During that final 10-game stretch, the players created Tom.

While, to just the average person Tom may just be a couple of pool noodles jumbled together to make some sort of goofy mascot, to the Bulldogs, it's something they've been able to rally behind.

"Several weeks ago as a team we had a long meeting and told them a big part of baseball is being weird," Tigert said. "I wanted them to come up with their own weirdness and find something they can rally behind. They love Tom. Tom travels with us and he's going to come to state with us."

MOSCOW 010 000 0 — 1 2 1

SANDPOINT 100 050 X — 6 9 0

M. Kibbin, C. Isakson (4), B. Abendroth (5), and T. Izzo. Austin Dillon and Auggie Lehman.

HITS: MOS — C. Isakson, McLaughlin. SPT — MacDonald 2, Zimmerman, A. Lehman 2, Mellander, Roos, Dillon, Sherrill. 2B — McLaughlin. 3B — MacDonald, Zimmerman.