6A DISTRICT 1 BASEBALL: Lake City holds on for title ... In a series filled with comebacks, Timberwolves weather Coeur d'Alene rally in seventh inning

By MARK NELKE 

Sports writer 

COEUR d’ALENE — Lake City entered the bottom of the seventh inning of Saturday’s winner-take-all title game of the 6A District 1 baseball championship game with a five-run lead over Coeur d’Alene. 

So naturally, Lake City coach Mike Criswell said, “I was terrified.” 

With good reason. 

After all, Lake City led by four runs in Game 1 on Tuesday before Coeur d’Alene scored five in the bottom of the sixth to win 8-7. 

Then, Coeur d’Alene led by four runs in Game 2 on Thursday before Lake City scored five times in the bottom of the seventh to win 11-10. 

So naturally on Saturday, Coeur d’Alene scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying run at the plate, before Lake City finally recorded the final out for a 7-4 victory and the district title at Ted Page Field. 

“A very big sigh of relief,” Lake City senior shortstop Travis Usdrowski said. 

“Five days ago, we were looking at the season possibly being over,” Criswell said. “Prom was last night; I was just hoping to get through today with a little bit of success, because I knew we were going to go somewhere next week. I think the sun shined bright on us today, so we’ll take whatever we can get, for sure.” 

“I’ve got to tip my cap over there to Mike (Criswell) and Lake City,” first-year Coeur d’Alene head coach Brandon Williams said. “Kyle (Johnson) threw it well. They came out ready to go. We started like we were, and I think it went to a coast mode after that. Now we’ve got to go back to the drawing board, because we’re not out.” 

Based on their MaxPreps rankings, Lake City and Coeur d’Alene had already qualified for next weekend’s new state play-in series, where three teams gather at four sites throughout the state. 

But by winning the district title, Lake City (13-8) will host a play-in series, with the winner advancing to a four-team, double-elimination state tournament the following weekend.  

Coeur d’Alene (16-4) will travel to either one of the two play-in sites in the Boise area, or to the one in eastern Idaho.

In 6A, the top two teams from District 3 (Boise area), as well as district champs from the North and the East, will host the four play-in series. 

MaxPreps rankings as of the conclusion of play on Saturday will determine the eight at-large teams, to be sprinkled throughout the four play-in sites. Through Saturday, Coeur d’Alene was ranked fourth, Lake City seventh. 

Play-in matchups are expected to be announced today. 

Meanwhile, back to Saturday’s action ... 

Junior Gavin Helms belted a two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the first inning to put the Vikings up 2-0. 

In the top of the fourth, the lefty-hitting Johnson sliced a two-run double just out of reach of a diving Coeur d’Alene left fielder. Usdrowski followed by hammering a two-run homer to put the Timberwolves in front 4-2. 

In the fifth, lefty-hitting Jack Pierce of Lake City homered to left center, and Usdrowski and Owen Mangini added RBI singles to make it 7-2. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Lake City was one strike away three times, only to see Coeur d’Alene keep the game alive. 

A walk and an RBI triple by Jackson Hackett to deep center — just off the center fielder’s glove, pulled Coeur d’Alene within 7-3. 

Tyler Voorhees and Evan Robertson were both down to their last strike, before Voorhees delivered a run-scoring single, and Robertson’s base hit put runners at first and third. 

“I’ve got confidence in each and every one of our kids,” Williams said. “I feel each one is going to come through. No matter what, I knew we were going to go up there with good approaches and put a good swing on a baseball.” 

With the tying run at the plate, Lake City reliever Mark Holecek struck out the next batter to end the game. 

Usdrowski, who has signed with Centralia (Wash.) College, finished 3 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored for Lake City. Aven Adams had two hits, and the lefty Johnson was one out — one strike, actually — from a complete game. 

“I’m just excited for the boys; they came out battling,” said Criswell, in his third season as Lake City head coach. “That team over there, B-Dub (Williams) has done a great job with them. Their lineup is scary. So for Kyle to come out and throw that well ... and they came out early on us and I was like ‘Oh, this is going to get ugly.’ ... but, our bats came back. I just wasn’t happy, because I didn’t think five runs was going to be enough.” 

Hackett and Voorhees had two hits each for Coeur d’Alene. 

“We got punched in the mouth again, but it’s not going to knock us down," Williams said. “We’ll come back hungrier on Monday, and get these boys ready for whoever we play on Friday.” 

Lake City    004    030    0    —    7    10    1     

Coeur d’Alene     200    000    2    —    4    6    2 

Kyle Johnson, Mark Holecek (7) and Avrey Cherry; Harrison Trunkey-Evans, Evan Robertson (5) and Hunter Chambers. 

HITS: LC — Pierce, Johnson, Usdrowski 3, Cherry, Mangini, Franklin, Adams 2. Cd’A — Voorhees 2, Robertson, Helms, Hackett 2. 2B — Johnson, Adams. 3B — Hackett. HR — Usdrowski, Pierce, Helms. 

    MARK NELKE/Press Lake City senior Jack Pierce steps on home plate after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning at Coeur d'Alene on Saturday in the deciding game of the 6A District 1 championship series.