Baseball team routs St. Maries, 9-3

The Badger Baseball team maintained a slim lead in the IML with winning two of three games from the first ever triple header against St. Maries Lumberjacks on Saturday.

The Badgers lead the league with a  record of 5-2.

Game 1, Bonners Ferry 9, St.Maries 3

With the first game being a make-up game from a previous date, the Badgers were visitors and started off the game pushing two runs across in the top of the first inning.  After Alek Lopez walked, pitcher Austin Wilson hit a single and both later scored on senior Brian Moore’s two run double. 

The Lumberjacks responded with a run in the bottom half of the first when their pitcher, Jaden Guidry, hit a solo home run. 

The Badgers then scored four more runs in the top of the second when freshman Ben Neumeyer started the inning off with a single followed by senior Lance Abeyta reaching base on an error.  After Lopez was hit by a pitch, Wilson hit a two run double to score Neumeyer and Lopez. 

Senior Dan Mayzel walked, junior Alex Awbrey then hit a two run single to score Wilson and Mayzel making the score 6–1 Badgers. 

In the bottom of the third inning, St. Maries scored two runs after Guidry and Ashton Stephenson reached base and senior Zach Lehman hit a two run single.

Bonners Ferry added three more runs in the top of the sixth when Moore hit his third double of the game and Mayzel and Awbrey were hit by pitches to load the bases. 

They later scored when sophomore Garrett Skeen hit a two run single scoring Moore and Mayzel. Awbrey later scored on a passed ball. Badger pitcher Austin Wilson and Lumberjack pitcher Jaden Guidry went the distance with Wilson picking up the win.

Moore finished the game going four for five with three doubles and two RBI while Awbrey went two for three with two RBI. Wilson went two for four with 2RBI and two runs scored.

Game 2,  St. Maries 5, Bonners Ferry 4

St. Maries started the second off scoring in the first inning after Jordan Stapleton walked and later scored on Stephenson’s single. 

The Badger’s responded in the bottom of the first inning when Moore hit a single, Mayzel walked and both scored on Awbrey’s two run double.  The Lumberjack’s scored a run in the top of the fourth inning when Guidry hit a single and later scored on an error from the Badger’s third baseman tying the game 2 -2.   

St. Maries added three more runs in the top of the fifth when David Barbour, Stapleton, and Bubba Pugh all hit consecutive singles.  All three scored on three mores singles from Stephenson, Lehman, and Brad Anderson. 

The Badger’s added a run in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 5-3 when senior Sean Conlin started the inning off with a single and later scored on a RBI double from sophomore Jesse Woods.  In the bottom of the sixth, the Badger’s added another run when Moore hit a one out single and later scored on a passed ball.  With the Badger’s down 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Conlin flied out to left field and Neumeyer struck out.  Woods came through with a two out single and Skeen walked advancing Woods to second.   Lopez then hit a single up the middle and Woods was waved home to score the tying run with two outs in the inning only to be nailed at the plate to end the game.

Moore finished the game going two for four, Conlin went two for three and Woods went two for two.  Senior pitcher Mayzel took the loss in a complete game effort.

Game 3 Bonners Ferry 9, St.Maries 8

With both teams splitting the first two games and St. Maries winning in dramatic style in game two, the last game had a feeling of something special as well. 

St. Maries started off the game in the top half of the first scoring two runs when Anderson walked and Stephenson reached on a Badger error.  They later scored on Lehman’s single. 

The Badger’s responded with three runs to take the lead when Moore, Mayzel, Awbrey and Conlin all had consecutive hits.  Awbrey drove in two runs with his second double of the day.  In the top of the second, St. Maries added three runs to retake the lead after Ray Flowers walked and Stapleton reached on an error.  They later scored on back to back RBI singles form Anderson and Guidry.  Bonners Ferry added a run in the bottom half of the second when junior Josiah Owinyo hit a single and later scored on Lopez’s single. 

The Lumberjack’s added a run in the top of the fourth to make score 6-4 when Flowers hit a single and later scored on a suicide squeeze from Anderson.  The Badger’s tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Wilson started off the inning with a walk followed by a single from Moore.  Wilson scored on a fielder’s choice from Awbrey and a passed ball.  St. Maries retook the lead in the top of the sixth inning with two runs making the score 8-6 Lumberjack’s. 

Barbour started the inning off with a single followed by an error from the Badger pitcher.  They later scored on consecutive single from Guidry and Stephenson.  With one out in the inning, Badger pitcher  Conlin was relieved by  Moore.  Moore proceeded to strike out the next batter and induced a fly ball out to the end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh inning and the Badger’s down 8-6, Mayzel started the inning off with a single.  Awbrey hit in to a fielder’s choice getting Mayzel out at second base.  Awbrey was lifted for a pinch runner Denny Neuman and he later scored on Conlin’s double down the line.  With one out, Conlin was lifted for another pinch runner, Lance Abeyta.  With Abeyta at third,  Skeen hit a deep fly ball to center to score Abeyta and tie the game 8-8. 

With two outs,  Woods came up big again with a single and advance to second on Owinyo’s walk.  Woods later advanced to third on a passed ball from the catcher.  With two outs, game tied and runner at third,  Lopez at the plate with a two ball two strike count when the St. Maries pitcher threw a wild pitch which got by the catcher.  Woods broke for home and another sliding play at the plate.  This time the Badger’s were safe and won the third a final game in another dramatic game.

Moore finished the day going eight for 13 at the plate with three doubles.  Awbrey finished with four for 10, two doubles and Woods going four for five.

Bonners Ferry pitcher Austin Wilson and Priest River’s Kyle Bradbury pitched complete games against each other Tuesday, April 19. 

At the end of the game, it came down to executing a suicide squeeze to give Priest River a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Badgers.

The Spartans scored in the first inning after an error from the Badgers second baseman trying to complete a double play.  Bonners Ferry responded with two runs in the bottom of the first when senior Alek Lopez started off with a double down the right field line.  Lopez later scored on a fielding error from the Spartan third baseman.  Senior Brian Moore hit a single up the middle and he too scored on a Priest River error.

Priest River added a run to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning when Dalton Sommer scored on a sacrifice fly to right field.  In the bottom of the fifth inning, The Badgers started the inning off with Wilson singling and stealing second.  Awbrey hit a single up the middle and Wilson was waved home but nailed at the plate.

The Spartans started the top of the sevetn inning off with back to back hits from Bradbury and Shawn Mortensen.  With one out and runners on second and third, Sommer laid down a perfect suicide squeeze to score the runner.  Bonners Ferry threatened in the bottom of the seventh after Moore hit a single and Mayzel hit into a fielders choice.  Mayzel later stole second and was stranded to end the game.

Bonners Ferry was led by  Moore going three for three and sophomore Skeen collecting two hits.  The Badgers had a total of nine hits in the game while Wilson pitched a four hitter against Priest River striking out five while walking four and had four hit batters.  Bradbury for Priest River struck out seven and walked three.

Bonners Ferry hosts Post Falls  at 4 p.m. today on their last home game and senior day.