Badgers take third at Orofino tournament

The Bonners Ferry High School baseball team traveled to Orofino for the second consecutive weekend to compete in warmer and drier conditions. The Badgers came away from Orofino taking third place in the tournament.

Gatchell throws

no-hitter against Genesee

Badgers - 11 Bulldogs - 1

Badger senior pitcher Josh Gatchell started the weekend off throwing a no-hitter against the Genesee Bulldogs. Gatchell was very efficient in the game throwing only 68 pitches, striking out 9 Bulldogs and walking none in five innings. He was nearly perfect with the exception of hitting Genesee batter Ty Kinyon who later scored on a fielding error in the second inning.

Meanwhile, the Badger bats started off where they left off last week scoring 11 runs on 7 hits. The Badgers scored 8 runs in the third inning when Matt Pluid started the inning off with a walk. AJ Bennett then singled up the middle and both Pluid and Bennett scored on Josh Hawks' 2 RBI double. Chris James then hit an RBI single scoring Hawks. After Chris Nelson reached on an error and Josh Gatchell was walked, Junior Jake Watt hit a 2 run single scoring James and Nelson.

Pluid came up again hitting a 2 run single scoring both Gatchell and Watt. In the fourth inning, the badgers continued their scoring when Chris Nelson reached base on a walk and scored when Kenny Swift hit a hard shot to the first baseman who couldn't field it. Swift then scored on Watt's second hit of the game. Ross Patterson then hit a RBI single scoring Watt. Jake Watt finished the game going 2 for 3 with 3 RBI and Josh Hawks having a double and 3 RBI. Matt Pluid also knocked in 2 runs.

Genesee          

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4

Bonners Ferry     

0 0 8 3 X 11 7 2

GEN - Dahmen and Hancock, BF - Gatchell and Patterson. WP - Gatchell (2-1), LP - Dahmen

Hits - GEN - 0, BF - Bennett, Hawks, James, Watt 2, Pluid, Patterson. Doubles - Hawks

Bonners Ferry - 3

Grangeville - 4

The Badgers lost a close one to last year's 2A State Champion, the Grangeville Bulldogs with Bonners Ferry committing four errors and allowing two unearned runs to score. Senior pitcher Chris James threw a fantastic game allowing only 5 hits, striking out 13 batters and walking only one.

The Badgers started the game off in the first inning scoring all three of their runs when James hit a 2 run double scoring AJ Bennett and Josh Hawks. James later scored in the inning when Ryan Merrifield hit a RBI single. In the Bulldogs bottom half of the first, Jesse Stone and Brayden Healey scored when Brian Stears hit a 2 run single. In the bottom of the third, Stears and DJ Crosby scored when the Badgers committed three errors.

Chris James finished the game with two hits including a double and 2 RBI, Josh Hawks Chad Nordhagen, Josh Gatchell, Ryan Merrifield and Ross Patterson each had singles for Bonners Ferry.

Bonners Ferry

3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 4

Grangeville          

2 0 2 0 0 0 X      4 5 4

BF - James and Patterson, GRANG. - Crosby, Stone (7) and Maynard. WP - Crosby LP - James (0-1)

Hits - BF - Hawks, James 2, Nordhagen, Gatchell, Merrifield, Patterson GRANG. - Stone, Stears 2, Ryan, Seid. Doubles - James

Bonners Ferry - 9

St. Maries - 8

Badger pitching continued to dominate when Senior Ross Patterson threw a great game only to walk away with a no decision. Patterson dominated Intermountain League opponent St. Maries through six innings striking out 10 batters, walking 3 and allowing only 4 hits.

The Badgers started off the game in the bottom of the first scoring three runs on four hits. Josh Hawks and Chris James hit back to back singles and Chris Nelson hit a 2 run double in the first. Chad Nordhagen later scored Nelson when he hit a RBI single. The Badgers added another run in the third inning when Nelson hit a single and then Nordhagen hit his second RBI single of the game.

In the top of the fourth, the Lumberjacks scored when Dalton Baker started the inning off with a single. He later scored on a fielding error by AJ Bennett. In the bottom of the fourth, the Badgers added 3 more runs when AJ Bennett reached on a single and Josh Hawks was walked. Chris James then hit a 2 run double to the fence scoring both Bennett and Hawks. Nelson added his third hit of the game when he scored James.

With the Bonners Ferry leading 7-1 going into the seventh inning, Coach Tom Turpin decided to relieve Patterson only to lose the lead when pitchers Jake Watt and Josh Gatchell couldn't close the game. St. Maries scored 7 runs on just four hits going ahead 8 to 7. Watt got the first two batters out then Dalton Baker hit a home run over the left field fence. Logan Shelden hit a double and Watt walked the next three batters. He was relieved by Gatchell who gave up two straight hits. He finished the inning striking out Baker.

The Badgers came up in the bottom of the inning needing to score at least one run to tie the game. Chris Nelson started the inning off reaching base on an error from the St. Maries shortstop. Gatchell then walked and Nordhagen bunted both runners over. Kenny Swift then hit an infield single scoring Nelson. With one out and Gatchell at third, Matt Pluid hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Gatchell for the winning run.

The Badgers finished the weekend with 28 hits and 23 runs scored. Chris James led the Badgers with five hits including 2 doubles and 5 RBI. Josh Hawks, Chris Nelson and Chad Nordhagen each added 3 hits with Hawks and Nelson hitting doubles.      

St. Maries     

0 0 0 1 0 0 7 8 8     1

Bonners Ferry     

3 0 1 3 0 0 2      9 15     3

SM - Grubham, Schmeismeir (4), Shelden (6) and Shelden, Baker BF - Patterson, Watt (7), Gatchell (7) and Nelson, Casey WP - Gatchell (3-1) LP - Shelden

Hits SM - Baker 2, Shelden, Thurstin 2, Schmeismeir, Siron, Ramirez BF - Bennett, Hawks, James 2, Nelson 3, Gatchell 2, Nordhagen 2, Kody Swift, Kenny Swift, Taggart, Patterson. Doubles - Shelden, James, Nelson. Home Run - Baker

The Badgers begin their league with a doubleheader this Saturday at home against St. Maries. First game starts at 11 a.m.