LEGION BASEBALL: Butler sharp as Lums notch first win at Missoula tourney
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 2 years, 7 months AGO
MISSOULA, Mont. — Jayden Butler pitched one-hit ball over four innings and the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen “AA” team piled up 16 hits in a 15-2 victory over the Lewis-Clark Twins on Sunday at Ogren Park on the second day of the Missoula Mavericks Memorial Day Tournament.
“It’s not really a pleasant surprise — it just confirmed it,” Coeur d’Alene coach Darren Taylor said of Butler. “He just looked in complete control. And Lewis-Clark hits the ball well. He throws hard — he might throw as hard as Troy Shepard. And he’s got a 12-to-6 curveball that freezes hitters.”
Cooper Larson drove in four runs for Coeur d’Alene (1-2). Ryan Schneider went 3 for 4 with two RBI triples and a run-scoring single, and scored three runs. Kyle Bridge was 3 for 4 with an RBI single and an RBI triple, and scored two runs. Joe DuCoeur was 3 for 4 with an RBI and three runs scored, and Spencer Zeller was 2 for 3 with an RBI and three runs scored.
The top four hitters in the lineup went 11 for 15 with seven RBIs and 11 runs scored.
“That’s the way we envisioned it when we put it together. And when we get Marcus (Manzardo; who finished up his freshman season at Community Colleges of Spokane this weekend) in there … " Taylor said. “Schneider hit two balls I thought were going to go through the outfield wall.”
Coeur d’Alene, 1-2 in the tourney, plays the host Missoula Mavericks today at 11:30 a.m. at Lindborg-Cregg Memorial Field to wrap up round-robin play, needing a victory and possibly some help for a chance to advance to the championship game later today.
Lewis-Clark lost to Vauxhall (Alberta) later Sunday, and fell to 1-2 at the tourney. Vauxhall finished 3-1, securing a spot in today’s title game.
Coeur d’Alene 534 12 — 15 16 3
Lewis-Clark 100 01 — 2 2 2
Jayden Butler, Bryce Hall (5) and Joe DuCoeur; Brice Bensching, Devon Blankwell (3) and Wyett Lopez.
HITS: Cd’A — Bridge 3, Zeller 2, DuCoeur 3, Schneider 3, Larson, Erickson, Bumbaugh, Rimpau, A. Taylor. LC — Ricard, Lopez. 2B — Zeller, Ricard, Lopez. 3B — DuCoeur, Schneider 2, Bridge.
