SANDPOINT — Prior to the American Legion State Tournament, the North Idaho Lakers 16U coaches were looking to instill confidence in their struggling team. 

For the first five innings of the state tournament against the Minico Storm, those efforts looked to be a success. A stellar day from Max Thompson on the mound, combined with consistent offense, had the Lakers sitting up 6-3 with just two innings left. 

Then, their old demons caught up with them. Errors and mental mistakes piled up in the bottom of the sixth allowed the Storm to score four runs and take their first lead of the game, 7-6.  

While a valiant effort from Karsen Garvin and Braden Burrows in the seventh helped the Lakers tie the game, the Storm held the momentum and used it to walk off North Idaho 8-7 on Friday afternoon.

"I told the team they gotta keep their heads in there. They've got to not let the umpires get to their heads or their errors get to their heads," North Idaho Lakers head coach Travis Tyler said. 

Bonners Ferry High's Thompson was the star of the day for North Idaho, dealing five and one-third innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and striking out three batters. At the plate, Thompson also hit 2-3 with two singles and was scored once. 

Thompson threw 93 pitches on the day, 52 of which were called strikes, and got himself out of several bases-loaded jams throughout the game. Tyler called that the best game he's seen from Thompson all year. 

"Just breathe, reset and relax. Just gotta pitch a strike," Thompson said about how he handled the pressure. "I felt like I was in the zone." 

Noah Langlois provided the other standout performance of the day, recording three electric plays in the field in the fifth to assist Thompson and record all three putouts in the inning. 

Garvin and Drake Burk were the other engines for the Lakers, recording two hits each at critical junctures in the game. Garvin's seventh-inning single turned into the tying run, giving North Idaho a fighting chance late into the game. 

Gunnar Gustafson only got one at-bat, but made the most of it, absolutely crushing a ball to right field to score Cody Guierrez and break the game's early tie in the second inning. Wyatt Buday also knocked in a run in the fifth inning to extend the Lakers' lead to 6-3. 

The sixth inning is where things began to fall apart for North Idaho, starting with a runner's interference call on Brent Worley that ended in a double play, ending the Lakers' offensive chance. 

The wear on Thompson's arm began to show in the bottom of the sixth, and he was replaced by Langlois. North Idaho's next pitcher struggled to find the strike zone, and errors reared their ugly head, which Minico jumped on to take their first lead of the game. 

Langlois was relieved by Garvin in the seventh as a last-ditch attempt to slow Minico's momentum, but it was too late for North Idaho.  

With one loss in the American Legion State Tournament, the North Idaho Lakers are on their last life, in need of a win to keep their season alive. The Lakers will get their chance early on Saturday, facing the Prairie Cardinals at 10 a.m. at War Memorial Field on July 18. 

Tyler said he knows his team will come prepared and ready for the Saturday game because they aren't ready to stop playing yet. He added that they know the tournament is taking place at home, and they want to win it for their city. 

"The way these boys played today, that 100%, if we keep it our game and keep our heads in this thing, there's no one here that can actually beat us," Tyler said. "I expect a run from here on out." 

North Idaho 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 — 7 9 6 

Minico 1 0 1 1 0 4 1 — 8 7 3 

PITCHING  

NI — Thompson: 5.1IP, 7H, 6R (3ER), 3BB, 3K. Langlois: 0.2IP, 0H, 2R (0ER), 1BB, 1K. Garvin: 0.1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K. MS — Carlson: 3.0IP, 5H, 4R (3ER), 1BB, 4K. Barcelo: 1.2IP, 1H, 2R (2ER), 5BB, 1K. Gillette: 1.1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K. Phillips: 1.0IP, 2H, 1R (1ER), 0BB, 1K. 

HITTING: 

NI — Garvin 2, Thompson 2, Burk 2, Worley 1, Gustafson 1, Buday 1. 2B — Worley 1. MS — Pomerleau 3, Zampedri 2, Phillips 1, Carlson 1. RBIs: NI — Langlois 1, Burrows 1, Gustafson 1, Buday 1. MS — Pomerleau 3, Zampedri 1, Gillette: 1. 

    North Idaho Lakers head coach Travis Tyler talks with Noah Langlois before a bases-loaded at-bat. The Lakers dropped their first game of the American Legion State Tournament on Friday.
  

    Noah Langlois trails back to field a pop fly in the fifth inning against the Minico Storm. Langlois recorded all three outs for the North Idaho Lakers in the fifth inning.