PREP BASEBALL: Post Falls wins on one swing ... Trojans, with one hit, beat Coeur d'Alene in opener of best-of-3 series for 6A District 1 title

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

COEUR d’ALENE — One swing. 

That was the difference in Game 1 of a best-of-3 6A Region 1 championship series. 

Post Falls junior Marshall Tomlinson made one.  

And his teammates are now one step closer to moving on. 

Tomlinson homered over the left field fence in the fourth inning, the lone hit of the day for the visiting Trojans, who beat the Coeur d’Alene Vikings 1-0 at Ted Page Field on Tuesday, taking a 1-0 series lead. 

“Marshall was tracking the ball well today,” Post Falls coach Kurt Reese said. “He was really focused today. The heart of our team is the catcher, and he was giving us the energy today. His swing changed everything, and that ball was crushed.” 

Coeur d’Alene senior Bam Fenter struck out 15. Post Falls senior Gavin Wienker allowed two hits, striking out eight. 

“It was a really good pitchers' duel,” Coeur d’Alene coach Brandon Williams said. “Both guys came out and showed out. They just had one better approach at the plate than we did. We’ll be ready to go on Thursday. Our backs are kind of against the wall, but we’ll be ready.” 

Post Falls (11-8), ranked 13th by MaxPreps, hosts Coeur d’Alene (9-7) — which is ranked seventh — in Game 2 of the series on Thursday at 4 p.m. An if-necessary Game 3 would be Saturday at noon at Coeur d’Alene High.

The regional champion will host one of four three-team pods in the 6A state play-in series, starting next week. The runner-up could earn an at-large bid, based on MaxPreps.com. rankings.

“This was everything for us,” Reese said. “We had to come in here and set the tone. This group has never been to state. They’re hungry and want to go there. Now, we’ve got to focus on one game at a time.” 

Senior Dylan Cook doubled leading off the second inning, and Fenter singled leading off the fourth for Coeur d'Alene.

“It’s the game of baseball,” Williams said. “It’s a humbling game, and it’s going to humble you real quick. This game is done and over with, and we’ll move onto the next one.” 

Post Falls    000    100    0    —    1    1    1 

Coeur d’Alene    000    000    0    —    0    2    1 

Gavin Wienker and Marshall Tomlinson; Bam Fenter and Hunter Chambers. 

HITS: PF — Tomlinson. Cd’A — Fenter, Cook. 2B — Cook. HR — Tomlinson. 

Moscow 8-9 

Lakeland 7-11 

MOSCOW — Sophomore Landon Puzio hit a go-ahead two-run double in the top of the sixth inning in the second game to rally the Hawks past the Bears in a 5A Inland Empire League doubleheader at the Moscow School District Community Playfields. 

Sophomores Luke Knight and Nate Bevacqua drove in two runs each for Lakeland, which trailed 6-1 after two innings before rallying. 

Junior Parker Byrd and senior Jake Larcher each scored two runs in the second game for Lakeland (9-11, 5-7 5A IEL), which faces Lewiston on Friday at noon in a loser-out game in the 5A Region 1 tournament at Memorial Field in Sandpoint. 

Moscow (4-14, 1-11) faces Sandpoint in a loser-out game on Friday at 2 p.m. 

Friday’s winners will meet in the championship game at 4 p.m., with the winner hosting a three-team state play-in next weekend. At-large berths are also possible, based on MaxPreps rankings.

FIRST GAME 

Lakeland    111    220    0    —    7    12    4 

Moscow    120    005    x    —    8    8    4 

Jake Larcher, Jace Taylor (6) and Nate Bevacqua; Sam Rigney, Dan Fitt (4) and Benson Godfrey. 

HITS: LL — Tamagni 2, Taylor, Bevacqua 3, Puzio, Smith, Avriett, Lund 2, Byrd. Mos — Godfrey 2, Rigney, Hain 2, Fealy, O’Donnell, Barton. 2B — Tamagni, Lund, Bevacqua, Godfrey. 

SECOND GAME 

Lakeland    104    006    0    —    11    12    4 

Moscow    510    210    0    —    9    8    0 

Luke Knight, Landon Puzio (3) and Nate Bevacqua; Huckleberry O’Donnell, Dan Fitt (4), Javen Barton (5), Connor Perry (6) and Max Hain. 

HITS: LL — Tamagni, Larcher 2, Bevacqua 2, Knight 2, Smith, Puzio 2, Byrd 2. Mos — Godfrey, Rigney 2, Hain 2, O’Donnell, Fealy, Barton. 2B — Knight, Puzio 2, Tamagni, Smith, O’Donnell. 3B — Hain. HR — Byrd.  

Timberlake 13 

Bonners Ferry 0 

SPIRIT LAKE — Being a little more picky at the plate has done wonders for the Tigers in their last two games. 

Timberlake scored seven runs — two on hit batsmen and another on a bases-loaded walk — in the bottom of the first inning, and went on to beat the Badgers in Game 1 of the 4A District 1 championship series at John Shaffer Field. 

Senior Eric Wylie threw five pitches in the first, 56 total in five innings for Timberlake (14-8), which can close out the series today at 4 p.m., with another win over Bonners Ferry (5-15). If the Badgers win, Game 3 will be Thursday at Timberlake High. 

“We were really patient at the plate without being passive,” Timberlake coach Bryce Johnson said. “Eric was really efficient in the top of the first inning. That mixed with a hot start at the plate was a recipe for a good day.” 

Wylie struck out three for Timberlake.  

“Eric does a good job of pitching to contact,” Johnson said. “He’s a contact guy, and going to fill up the strike zone and invite contact. We did a good job of making the plays behind him.” 

Junior Nate Beardsall drove in four runs, his third straight game with four RBIs for Timberlake. 

Junior Kordale Burt singled in the first inning for Bonners Ferry. 

Bonners Ferry    000    00    —    0    1    3 

Timberlake    700    6x    —    13    6    2 

Game called in 5th inning due to 10-run rule.

Stryder Liermann, Gavin Rider (1), Jacob Solt (4) and Keenan Maas; Eric Wylie and Gage Haines. 

HITS: BF — Burt. TL — Perkl, Wylie, Beardsall 2, Van Tassel, Haines. 2B — Wylie, Beardsall. 

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Post Falls junior Marshall Tomlinson steps on home plate after hitting a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning of Tuesday's Game 1 of a best-of-3 6A District 1 championship series at Ted Page Field.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Coeur d'Alene senior shortstop Seth Stevens attempts to put the tag on Post Falls senior Isaiah Kearney during the seventh inning of Tuesday's game at Ted Page Field.