LEGION BASEBALL: Northern Lakes escapes with win in tourney opener
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 10 hours, 22 minutes AGO
IDAHO FALLS — It was a squeeze that turned into a pickle that turned into a win for the Northern Lakes Mountaineers in their first game Thursday at the East Idaho Classic.
With runners at second and third base and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Northern Lakes coach Bryce Johnson called for a safety squeeze. But the pitch to the lefty hitting Parker Byrd was too far outside for him to get a bat on the ball.
The Idaho Prime A catcher fired to third, catching runner Crue Weitz a bit far off the bag. Weitz got into a rundown and eventually took off for home, but the throw was high and Weitz slid in safely to give the Mountaineers a 7-6 win at Frontier Field.
“Not how we drew it up, but it was the result we were looking for,” Johnson said.
Per tourney rules, if a game goes extra innings, the eighth is played with an automatic runner starting at second base. And if the tie isn’t broken in that inning, the game ends in a tie.
Weitz started the bottom of the eighth at second, pinch running for the originally automatic runner.
Matthew Junkin singled to left to advance Weitz to third, and moved up to second on an error on the play. The next batter popped out, sending Byrd to the plate.
Northern Lakes (10-2) trailed 6-3 before scoring twice in the sixth on singles by Nate Beardsall and Junkin. The Mountaineers scored on a error in the seventh to force extra innings.
The lefty throwing Junkin struck out five in 5.1 innings of relief, and Ryker Brennan got a groundout and two strikeouts in the top of the eighth.
Northern Lakes left 13 on base.
The Mountaineers are scheduled to play twice today, vs. Idaho Falls at 8 a.m. PDT and vs. Kimberly at 10:30, both at Frontier Field.
Prime 040 011 00 — 6 9 3
N. Lakes 201 002 11 — 7 9 1
1 out when winning run scored.
Jax Howe, Jace Walker (4), Cooper Blad (7) and Kale Bullock; Jake Larcher, Matthew Junkin (2), Ryker Brennan (8) and Ethan Pecor.
HITS: Prime — Howe, Hale 2, Blad, Semons 4. NL — Brennan 2, Pecor 2, Larcher, Beardsall, Junkin 2, Haines. 2B — Hale 2, Semons 3, Haines, Pecor, Larcher.
Glendive (Mont.) 6
Coeur d’Alene 2
HYRUM, Utah — Leadoff hitter Jack Pierce went 3 for 3 with a run scored for the Lums in the loss in their first game of the Western Invitational at Hyrum City Field.
Ethan Huss singled and scored on a base hit by Aven Adams in the sixth for Coeur d’Alene (5-9). Pierce doubled with two out in the seventh and scored on a single by Justin Fagan.
Thayden Hatfield struck out nine and walked one in a complete game for Glendive (11-8-1).
Today, Coeur d’Alene is scheduled to play Laramie (Wyo.) at 8 a.m. PDT at Hyrum City Field, and host Mountain Crest at 1 p.m. at Mountain Crest High.
Glendive 021 003 0 — 6 12 0
Coeur d’Alene 000 001 1 — 2 8 2
Thayden Hatfield and Easton Schriver; Noah Childress, Rylan Anstine (6) and Colton Nordman.
HITS: Glen — Rivas 2, Hoffer 2, I. Eaton, Guldborg, Sukut, McBride 2, C. Eaton 2, McPherson. Cd’A — Pierce 3, Fagan, Huss, MacNiven, Adams, Nordman. 2B — Guldborg, Hoffer, Pierce.
Expos 5
Prairie 2
SPOKANE — Prairie struck first in the top of the first inning, but that was it for the Cardinals in a loss to the Expos (Williamson) 18U at Gonzaga University’s Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field.
Timothy Howard tripled to lead off the game for Prairie (9-9-1), and scored on a single by Gavin Wienker. Wienker scored on an error to make it 2-0.
The Cardinals did not get another hit until two out in the seventh.
Prairie is scheduled to play USA Prime INW 18U today at noon at Whitworth University.
Prairie 200 000 0 — 2 3 1
Expos 100 310 x — 5 4 3
James Morast, Kason Noffke (4), J. Schreibeis (5), Andrew Olson (6) and Kaiden Kubo; B. Maronick, J. Famolaro (7) and D. Acosta.
HITS: Pra —Howard, Wienker, Berger. Exp —Blake, Bevan 2, Krotzer. 2B — Berger, Bevan. 3B — Howard. HR — Blake.