LEGION BASEBALL: Brennan, Junkin lift Northern Lakes to league win over Orofino

SPIRIT LAKE — Ryker Brennan kept Northern Lakes in the game after a rough start, and Matthew Junkin delivered the game-winning hit as the Mountaineers beat the Orofino Merchants 6-5 in a class A North Idaho League game Saturday at John Shaffer Field. 

“Ryker was around 55 pitches through two innings,” Northern Lakes coach Bryce Johnson said. “You only get 105 in Legion. To get all the way to the sixth, he buckled down, and we were able to get the offense going.”

Northern Lakes (8-2, 4-1 NIL) tied the game in the sixth. Parker Byrd walked, and one out later, Crue Weitz dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Byrd, who was running on the play, rounded second and headed to third. The first baseman’s throw to third got away, and Byrd scored. 

In the seventh, Jake Larcher walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and, with one out, scored on Junkin’s base hit to center field. 

Blake Barlow went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs for Orofino (5-6, 1-3). 

“Orofino’s a good team; basically their high school team that just won the state title,” Johnson said.  

Brennan struck out 10 in five innings, and Larcher pitched around a leadoff triple in the top of the seventh. 

In the nonleague second game, Byrd went 3 for 3 with a triple, double and two RBIs as Northern Lakes won 9-6. 

Northern Lakes plays at the Sandpoint Sasquatch 17U on Monday at 6 p.m. at War Memorial Field. 

FIRST GAME 

Orofino     220    001    0    —    5    10    1 

N. Lakes    100    301    1    —    6    8    1 

1 out when winning run scored. 

Blake Barlow, Tyler Zumpe (7) and Lane Turcott; Ryker Brennan, Jake Larcher (6) and Ethan Pecor. 

HITS: Oro — J. Tondevold, Barlow 3, Phillips, Gilmore 2, Turcott, Barger 2. NL — Brennan 3, Pecor, Beardsall, Junkin 2, Tenney. 2B — Barlow, Gilmore, Barger, Brennan, Tenney, Junkin. 3B — Turcott. 

SECOND GAME  

Orofino     100    302    0    —    6    3    0 

N. Lakes    212    004    x    —    9    9    0 

Camden Tondevold, Lane Turcott (3), Tyler Zumpe (6) and Turcott, Ethan Gilmore; Ethan Pecor, Titus Tenney (3), Crue Weitz (4), Parker Byrd (6), Jake Larcher (7) and Gage Haines. 

HITS: Oro — Barlow, R. Tondevold, Turcott. NL — Brennan, Larcher, Beardsall, Perkl, Rigler, Byrd 3, Haines. 2B — R. Tondevold, Barlow, Brennan, Rigler, Byrd. 3B — Byrd. 

Rush 18U 13 

Prairie 9 

PULLMAN — The Cardinals finished 0-4 at the Palouse Summer Series following the loss to the Washington Rush (Cashman) 18U at Washington State’s Bailey-Brayton Field. 

Alec Finn went 2 for 3 with a two-run double in a five-run first inning for Prairie (9-8-1). 

Toby Begalman finished with four RBIs for the Cardinals, three on a fifth-inning double as Prairie took a 9-6 lead. 

Prairie returns to action Thursday at 8 a.m. against the Expos Williamson 18U at Gonzaga University. 

Prairie     500    040    0    —    9    10    4 

Rush    300    343    x    —    13    11    2 

Timothy Howard, Kaiden Kubo (5) and Houston Smith; Calan Sporn, Porter August (5), MJ Holcomb (5) and McCoy LaBlanc. 

HITS: Pra — Kearney 2, Wienker, Berger, Finn 2, Storrer, Stinson, Begalman, Kubo. Rush — Gilginas, Bau 2, McGeever 2, Harney, Boswell 3, Moore, Bistranin. 2B — Begalman, Finn. 3B — Bistranin, Moore, Boswell.