Badgers take fourth at State winning Consolation Championship trophy
By TOM TURPIN
Badger Baseball Coach
For the Herald
The Bonners Ferry Badgers fought back through the loser's bracket to earn 4TH place in the 3-A State baseball tournament last week in Ontario, Ore. The Badgers lost the first game of the tournament but came back to win the next two and receive the consolation championship trophy.
Kimberly - 4
Bonners Ferry - 0
The Kimberly Bulldogs scored four runs in the third inning and that's all they needed to win their very first State tournament game. Bonners Ferry only had four hits in the game as Bulldog pitcher Mitchell Dame kept the Badgers off balance all game with a mixture of fastballs and sliders.
In the bottom of the third, leadoff hitter Brandon Soderquist walked and advanced to third on Nick Wright's single up the middle.
Soderquist later scored on a sacrifice fly from A.J. Schroeder. Evan Jerke then hit a RBI single to right scoring Wright.
Tucker Lierman hit a RBI single to score Jerke and Lierman later scored when Nate Harmon reached on an error by A.J. Bennett.
Bonners Ferry
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2
Kimberly
0 0 4 0 0 0 X 4 7 0
Sugar Salem - 2
Bonners Ferry - 10
Bonners Ferry came back after dropping the first game of the State tournament to the beat the Sugar Salem Diggers 10 - 2. Senior pitcher Ross Patterson threw a complete game 4 hitter striking out 13 and walking only one.
The Diggers scored an early run in the top of the first when Tony Torres started the game off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Jordan Hepworth.
The Badgers tied the game up 1 - 1 in their half of the first when A.J. Bennett walked and later scored when Sugar Salem committed three errors in the first inning.
In the second and third innings, Ross Patterson struck out 5 straight Diggers to keep the game tied until the Badgers half of the third.
After Josh Gatchell flied out to right to start the inning, Matt Pluid hit a single to left and advanced when Chris Nelson hit a ball to the shortstop who committed an error.
Pluid would later score on a sacrifice fly from Patterson. Nelson scored on a past ball to make the game 3 - 1.
The Badgers would strike for 7 runs in the fifth inning with back to back singles from Nelson and Patterson.
After Ryan Merrifield walked to load the bases, Kenny Swift was walked and Nelson scored. Josh Hawks hit into a fielders choice and then A.J. Bennett hit a triple down the right field line scoring Patterson and Merrifield.
Chris James walked and Jake Watt hit a RBI double scoring Hawks.
Matt Pluid hit a fly ball to the centerfielder that committed an error and Bennett scored.
Patterson came up again getting his second single of the inning scoring Pluid and making the score 10 - 1.
Sugar Salem would add a run in the top of the sixth when Torres walked and Hepworth singled. Torres would score on Bryce Arnold's fielder's choice. Patterson ended the game with four straight strikeouts.
Sugar Salem
1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 7
Bonners Ferry
1 0 2 0 7 0 X 10 10 1
WP - Patterson, LP - McFarland. SS hits: Torress, Hepworth - 2, Weaver BF: Hawks - 2, Bennett, Pluid, Watt, Nelson, Patterson - 2, Merrifield, Maas. 2B - Watt, Torres, Hepworth. 3B: Bennett
Filer - 3
Bonners Ferry - 7
The Badgers claimed its first ever trophy in a State baseball tournament beating the Filer Wildcats 7 - 3 to win the consolation round.
The Badgers started off pretty shaky in the first inning giving up 2 runs in the top of the first inning on no hits and two errors.
The Badgers scored in the bottom of the second inning to close the gap 2 - 1 when Chris Nelson reached on an error and later scored on Josh Gatchell's RBI double to right center.
Filer would score another run in the top half of the third inning to increase the lead 3 - 1 but the Badger's came right back in their half scoring three runs to take the lead for good.
After Chad Nordhagen popped up to the catcher, Kenny Swift hit a single to left followed by a single from Josh Hawks.
After advancing on a passed ball, both Swift and Hawks would later score on a single from A.J. Bennett. Chris Nelson then hit a RBI single to score Bennett.
The Badgers added 3 more runs in the sixth when Ross Patterson reached on an error and Chad Nordhagen was walked followed by Kenny Swift being hit by a pitch.
Patterson scored on a passed ball then Chris James hit a 2 run double down the right field line scoring Nordhagen and Swift making the score 7 - 3.
The Badgers ended the season with a record of 21 - 8, winning their very first League and District Championship along with their first ever State tournament trophy.