Badger baseball team goes two for three against Orofino
<p>Fresh from a second-place IML finish in basketball, Junior Caleb Blackmore is taking his turn on the mound for the Badgers baseball team this spring.</p>
BONNERS FERRY — The 2015 Badger baseball team got off to a great start as they travelled to Orofino to take on the 2014 2A State Champions.
The Badgers won the first game of the doubleheader 11-10 on Friday, March 15 to start the season then lost the night cap 7-5. On Saturday, March 16 they concluded the three game series with a 10 - 4 win over the Maniacs.
GAME 1
The Badgers had a 9 – 0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning and held on with an 11-10 thriller. Brady Bateman, Nick Sabin and Dylan Unruh each had 2 hits in the game with Bateman knocking out 3 RBI’s and a double.
With the Badgers leading 11-10 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Maniacs loaded the bases with none out. Sophomore Nick Sabin came in to pitch in relief and struck out the first two batters. The final out was a pop out to the first baseman.
GAME 2
Junior Caleb Blackmore and Freshman Chris Sabin each got three hits and Blackmore pitched five effective innings but the Badgers left nine batters on base and had three costlyBASerrors in the 7-5 loss.
With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the third and 2 outs, the Badgers scored 3 runs on 3 hits. The Maniacs scored 5 runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead 6-4. Bonners Ferry added another run in the fifth after Nick Sabin walked then later scored on a grounder from Kevin Gray.
GAME 3
On Saturday, sophomore pitcher Jesse Dunham pitched a complete game giving up only 4 hits, striking out eight batters and walking only three batters in the 10 - 4 win.
The Badgers starting the scoring in the top of the second inning when Steve Anzolone and Chris Sabin hit back to back singles with one out. After Kevin Gray walked to load the bases, Dunham also walked to score Anzolone.
Bateman then hit a ball to the right side of the field and the first baseman misplaced, which caused Sabin and Gray to score. The Badgers added a run in the third inning when Nick Sabin walked and later scored on a grounder from Anzolone.
The Maniacs scored 3 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to narrow the score to 5-3 but the Badgers responded with 4 runs in the sixth inning. Kevin Gray was hit by pitch, Kaleb Stockton reached on an error, and Dunham walked to load the bases. Bateman hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Gray. After two more runs were scored on walks and an error, Anzolone hit an RBI single to score Shay Garcia. The Badgers added an insurance run in the seventh inning and Triston Howell walked and later scored on an error.
The Badgers’ varsity play Lake City JV at home today in a double header match up beginning at 1:30 p.m.