Big sixth inning hurts Bulldogs in loss
Kody MacDonald steps on the mound in the doubleheader finale against Lakeland on last year.
(Photo courtesy of JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
Post Falls’ baseball team scored 10 runs in the sixth inning against Sandpoint at War Memorial Field on Saturday to end game one of its doubleheader.
The Trojans swept the Bulldogs 15-1, 9-7.
“Right now, it’s a roller coaster,” Sandpoint baseball coach Chase Tigert said. “We have highs where we do everything we’re capable of, and then we have lows where we have severe drops.”
Post Falls opened up game one with a 2-0 lead and continued to build upon it during the second and third innings.
After both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, the Trojans came up to bat.
Zeke Roop took over on the mound for Jack Zimmerman, who gave up eight runs on 10 hits and struck out three.
Roop threw out 22 pitches resulting in three hits and four earned runs.
Colin Roos came in the same inning and allowed three more runs on two hits.
“Everything starts with our pitchers,” Tigert said. “If you do your job, you keep the defense in the game. But when you’re not, the defense tends to drift.”
Post Falls jumped ahead 4-0 in game two of the doubleheader following a Tanner Sessions RBI single that drove home Caleb Elliott.
In the bottom of the third, Sandpoint scored two runs to cut Post Falls lead.
Roop hit a sacrifice fly that brought home Jack Zimmer to cut the Trojans lead to 4-2.
Kody MacDonald reached first base following an error by Post Falls’ center fielder, Sessions. This drove home Koby Barlow.
Sandpoint took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth after scoring two runs..
Zimmerman scored on an error by Post Falls catcher Jerad Taylor to tie the game at four runs apiece.
Drew Lehman scored on a fielder's choice to take the lead for the Bulldogs 5-4.
Post Falls then became unglued, again in the sixth inning, scoring five runs for the final margin.
“We’re having a tough time regaining things when it gets out of hand,” Tigert said. “I think we’re close and we’re still the team to beat. We’re not even playing at 50 percent of our potential.”
Following the loss, Sandpoint falls to 3-4 overall and will face off against Lakeland on the road on Thursday, April 21, in a doubleheader.
GAME ONE
POST FALLS 212 00(10) — 15 15 1
SANDPOINT 010 000 — 1 5 4
Tyson Rutherford, Isaac Ziegler (6), and Jerad Taylor. Jack Zimmerman, Zeke Roop (6), Colin Roos (6), Jesse Turner, and Kohlton Wagoner.
HITS: PF — Naylor 3, Ziegler 2, Wilburn 3, Chamberlain, Bustamante 2, Taylor, Winters, Sessions 2. SPT — Mellander, Butler, Barlow, Dillion, Wagoner. 2B — Naylor, Sharples, Wilburn 2, Mellander, Barlow.
GAME TWO
POST FALLS 220 005 0 — 9 9 6
SANDPOINT 002 122 0 — 7 3 1
CD Sharples, Austin DeBoer (4),Caleb Elliott (4), and Jerad Taylor. Jack Ringer, Austin Dillion (6) and Kody MacDonald.
HITS: PF — Naylor, Ziegler, DeBoer, Sharples, Chamberlain, Elliott, Sessions 2, Rutherford. SPT — D. Lehamn, Roop, Mellander.2B — Rutherford. 3B — Elliott, Sharples.