PREP BASEBALL: Coeur d'Alene finishes what it started, downs Post Falls for 6A IEL title

POST FALLS — There was a lot more on the line, from the time the game started as part of a league-opening doubleheader on April 7, until it ended on Thursday afternoon at Post Falls High. 

In the end, it was the visiting Coeur d’Alene Vikings that found their way to the top of the 6A Inland Empire League. 

Senior Bam Fenter hit a two-run double with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to score senior Beckett Larson and senior Gavin Helms as the Vikings beat Post Falls 16-14 in the resumption of the earlier game, claiming the top seed to the best-of-3 6A District 1 championship series starting on Tuesday. 

Fenter entered the game in the seventh for Coeur d’Alene in relief. The game resumed in the top of the seventh, after it was originally stopped due to darkness after six innings and the score tied at 12.

“He’s been our No. 1 on the mound and there was no way I wasn’t going to throw him out there today,” Coeur d’Alene coach Brandon Williams said.  

After Coeur d'Alene scored two runs in the top of the seventh, Post Falls tied the game at 14-14 in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by junior Marshall Tomlinson to score senior Brandon Felix, but stranded the winning run on third base. 

“The boys are disappointed,” Post Falls coach Kurt Reese said. “It was back and forth, and we were right on the cusp of winning that game. But we’ll have to be ready to come back ready to go tomorrow against a tough Lake City team.” 

Tomlinson, who entered the game in the fifth inning on April 7, returned to the mound when play resumed Thursday. Fenter pitched the first game of the doubleheader on April 7. 

“Because it was a resumption, we stuck with the players we had available, and they had the chance to throw their best pitcher,” Reese said. “I’m very proud of our kids. We had them on their heels a little bit.” 

Post Falls (9-9, 5-3 6A IEL) hosts Lake City (5-15, 1-7) today in a loser-out game at 4 p.m. The winner advances to face Coeur d’Alene (9-6, 6-2) in a best-of-3 series starting Tuesday at Coeur d'Alene's Ted Page Field.

“Our kids were resilient,” Williams said. “We had to answer back and have our guys trust what they were doing at the plate and not make the moment too big.” 

Coeur d’Alene    150    150    22    —    16    12    2 

Post Falls    006    501    20    —    14    11    7 

JD Davenport, Asa Morton (3), Tyler Kernkamp (5), Bam Fenter (7) and Colten Nordman, Gavin Helms (5); Michael O’Connor, Karl Berend (3), Caden Perkins (4), Marshall Tomlinson (5) and Brandon Felix. 

HITS: Cd’A — Fenter 3, Hackett, Cook 2, Togiailua, Pickens 2, Helms 3. PF — Berend, Tomlinson, Wienker 3, Berger, A. Carrasco 2, B. Carrasco 3. 2B — Cook, Fenter 2, B. Carrasco, A. Carrasco. 

Sandpoint 22-10 

Lakeland 3-1 

RATHDRUM — The visiting Bulldogs swept the Hawks in a 5A Inland Empire League doubleheader at Corbit Field, clinching the league title and top seed to the 5A Region 1 tournament. 

Lakeland (8-10, 4-6 5A IEL) concludes the regular season with a doubleheader at Moscow on Tuesday. Sandpoint (16-2, 9-1) travels to Moscow for a doubleheader on Saturday. 

Regionals is scheduled to begin next Friday in Sandpoint. 

In the first game, Sandpoint junior Jack Schriber hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning, finishing with five RBIs. Seniors Parker Reichart and Mason Little drove in three runs each in the second game for the Bulldogs. 

Junior Parker Byrd hit a two-run double in the first game for Lakeland. 

FIRST GAME 

Sandpoint    233    95    —    22    17    1 

Lakeland    000    03    —    3    4    2 

Game called after 5 innings due to 10-run rule. 

Sage Medeiros, Parker Reichart (5), Landon Day (5) and Coleman Inge, Hayden Miller (5); Landon Puzio, Luke Knight (4) and Nate Bevacqua. 

HITS: Spt — Little 3, Reichart 2, Williams, Schriber 3, Shaw, Medeiros 2, Caprio, Resso 3, Inge. LL — Larcher, Smith, Avriett, Byrd. 2B — Little, Medeiros, Inge, Shaw, Byrd. HR — Schriber. 

SECOND GAME 

Sandpoint    130    140    1    —    10    11    1 

Lakeland    001    000    0    —    1    2    3 

Dallen Williams, Brennan Shaw (7) and Coleman Inge; Jace Taylor, Jake Larcher (5) and Nate Bevacqua. 

HITS: Spt — Little 3, Reichart 2, Schriber, Shaw, Medeiros, Caprio 2, Resso. LL — Larcher, Taylor. 2B — Medeiros, Caprio, Little, Shaw, Resso. HR — Little. 

Kellogg 4 

Grangeville 2 

OSBURN — Sophomore Alex Cassidy scored two runs for the Wildcats (3-15, 3-7 CIL) in a Central Idaho League win over the Bulldogs (4-14, 1-9) at Morehouse Field. 

Further information was not available. 

The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader today at Morehouse Field, starting at noon.