SANDPOINT — Baseball can be a fickle game at times.  

Take the perfect approach, time the swing and listen to the loud crack of the bat as the ball touches the heavens. However, unlike many sports, that can immediately mean nothing.  As you make a desperate run to first base, you hear that soul-crushing noise of the ball finding the glove of a fielder, and you're out.  

That was the case for many of the at-bats taken by the Sandpoint Sasquatch 17U squad on Monday evening in their 8-4 loss to the Northern Lakes Mountaineers.  

The game started on the right foot for the Sasquatch, taking advantage of two errors by the Mountaineers in the first inning to jump out to a 3-2 lead. Priest River rising senior Broden Collins got the start for Sandpoint and bounced back from a tough first inning with four strikeouts over two shutout innings. 

Sandpoint couldn't build any offensive momentum off Collins' shutdown innings, and when the dam burst, Northern Lakes capitalized. A two-RBI double from Dane Perkl capped off a four-run fourth inning for the Mountaineers, giving them a lead back that they wouldn't give up. 

Despite loud contact all day from Sandpoint's batters, like Sandpoint High rising junior Chase Miller and Sandpoint High rising senior Carson Resso, they went into the sixth inning without a hit. Sandpoint only struck out four times and worked seven walks from the plate. 

The Sasquatch were able to snap the no-hitter bid thanks to a single sent up the center field gap from Resso, who was the only Sandpoint player to have a multi-hit day and record an RBI. Another single, this time from Austyn Young, created the first real momentum that Sandpoint had at the plate since the first inning. 

However, that was quickly snuffed out by Northern Lakes' pitcher Nate Beardsall, who landed three straight outs to get himself out of a bases-loaded jam.  

The Sasquatch were able to rebound on the mound with solid days from Erik Hansen and Andrew Aexel to slow the Mountaineers. Though Hansen gave up two runs after walking four straight batters, he was saved by a heads-up double play made by shortstop and Sandpoint High graduate Soren Caprio. 

A late charge from Sandpoint with two outs in the bottom of the seventh showed them at their best, working two walks and hitting two singles to drive in their third and final run. However, another flyout would quickly put an end to any hope of a comeback. 

The Sasquatch fall to 6-11-1 on the summer season with the loss. Sandpoint is back in action this weekend at the Big Bucks Tournament in Libby, Montana. They are set to square off with the Mission Valley Mariners A on Friday at 12:15 p.m., Central Alberta Wolves on Saturday at 10:15 a.m. and Wenatchee Valley Baseball Club on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. 

Sandpoint will also play a game on Sunday, but their opponent will be determined by how they fare in the first three contests. All games will take place at Lee Gehring Field, and the tournament is hosted by the Libby Loggers. 

Northern Lakes 2 0 0 4 0 2 0 — 8 6 2 

Sandpoint 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 4 5 3 

PITCHING 

SP — Collins: 4.0IP, 6H, 6R (5ER), 4BB, 5K. Hansen: 1.1IP, 0H, 2R, (2ER), 4BB, 2K. Aexel: 1.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K. NL — Rigler: 4.0IP, 1H, 3R (0ER), 4BB, 1K. Beardsall: 3.0IP, 4H, 1R (1ER), 3BB, 3K. 

BATTING 

HITS: SP — Resso 2, Holman 1, Young 1, Aexel 1. NL — Junkin 2, Brennan 1, Larcher 1, Beardsall 1, Perkl 1. 2B — Perkl 1. RBI: NI — Resso 1. PC — Junkin 2, Perkl 2, Tenney 1, Haines 1, Larcher 1. 

    Sandpoint rising senior Carson Resso delivers a ball back to the pitcher during an inning break on Monday evening. Resso delivered on two singles and an RBI in the Sasquatch's loss to Northern Lakes.