Badger boys rebound, take 3rd at 3A State Tournament

The Badger baseball team ended a phenomenal season by taking third place in the 2016 3A State Baseball Tournament in Fruitland, Idaho. The third place finish gives the Badgers a 24-3 overall record for the year including their first ever back to back league titles and sweep of the IML league.

GAME 1 - South Fremont 1 Bonners Ferry 11 (6 innings)

Senior Vince Bennett pitched a complete game three hitter while striking out seven, walking only three batters and not allowing an earned run in the 11-1 win in six innings.

The Badgers scored in every inning with sophomore Brady Bateman starting the game off with a double to left center. After a one out walk to junior Jesse Dunham, senior Caleb Gering reached on an error from the second baseman to score Bateman. Dunham later scored on a wild pitch to make the game 2 -0 after the first inning. Junior Kevin Gray started the second inning off with a single to left and later scored on a RBI single from Bennett. The Badgers added another run in the third inning after Gering doubled to start the inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly from senior Caleb Blackmore.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Badgers added two more runs after back to back walks to Brady Bateman and Bennett, followed by Dunham getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Gering then hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Bateman and Bennett scored on a RBI single from junior Nick Sabin to make the score 6 – 0 after four innings.

The South Fremont Cougars got on the board in the top of the fifth inning after a single from Nick Trost. He later scored on a Badger error to narrow the lead to 6 – 1.

But the Badgers came back strong in their half of the fifth inning scoring three runs on three hits. With one out in the inning, Chris Sabin reached on a walk, Brady Bateman then hit a RBI single to score Sabin. Bennett walked and Dunham hit a RBI single to score Bateman. Bennett later scored on a RBI single from Blackmore to make the score 9 – 1 after five innings.

The Badgers added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth when junior Kaleb Stockton hit a lead-off single and Raul Rodriguez walked with one out. After Brady Bateman flied out to center, Bennett came up big with a 2 run triple to end the game.

Bateman went 2 for 4 with a double and 3 runs scored while Bennett went 2 for 3 with a triple, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI’s. Nick Sabin and Kaleb Stockton each picked up two hits in the game for the Badgers.

Badger hits: B. Bateman – 2 (2B), Bennett – 2 (3B), Dunham, Gering (2B), Blackmore, Nick Sabin – 2, Kaleb Stockton – 2, Gray

GAME 2 - Bonners Ferry 2 Homedale 10 (5 innings)

The Bonners Ferry Badgers took on the Homedale Trojans in the semifinal game for a chance at playing in State Championship only to lose 10-2 in five innings, due to the eight run rule based on the weather.

The Badgers started the game off scoring a run in the first inning after Bennett hit a one out single to left and later scored on a RBI single from Gering. The Trojans scored three runs in the bottom half of the first on three hits and an error by the Badgers to make the score 3 – 1 after one inning.

Bonners Ferry added another run in the second inning after a lead-off double from Nick Sabin who later scored on a RBI single from Kevin Gray. Homedale responded with a run in the bottom of the second to maintain a 4 - 2 lead after two innings.

In the third inning, both teams went quietly and in the fourth inning the Homedale Trojans extended their lead after a lead-off double that later scored. The Badgers gave up five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on three hits, three walks and an error.

Pitcher Jesse Dunham picked up his first loss of the season while the Badger bats only managed four hits in the game.

Badger hits: Bennett, Gering, Nick Sabin (2B), Gray

GAME 3 - Bonners Ferry 7 Weiser 0

With the hopes of playing for the State Championship dashed a day earlier by the Homedale Trojans, the Badgers regrouped to beat the Weiser Wolverines 7- 0 for the third place trophy at the State Tournament.

Pitcher Vince Bennett took to the mound after one days rest to pitch what could have been his best game of the season. Bennett gave up only two hits while striking out eight and walking only two Wolverines in his second complete game of the tournament.

The game was scoreless heading into the top of the third inning when Chris Sabin started the inning off getting hit by a pitch and reaching first base. A Brady Bateman sacrifice bunt advanced Sabin to second, followed by a fly out to left from Bennett which advanced him to third. Sabin then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 1 – 0 Badgers.

The Wolverines managed a two out single in the first inning while the Badgers went hitless through the first five innings making this a tight ballgame. In the top of the sixth inning, Bennett broke up the no hitter by Wolverine pitcher Christian Claudio with a single to left center. Bennett was stranded at second to end the inning to keep the score 1 – 0 in favor of the Badgers.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Bennett gave up a one out walk to the Wolverines but Weiser could not get the runner to advance past second base and the Badgers got out of trouble again. With the lead 1 – 0 heading into the final inning, the Badgers took advantage of a one out error when Seth Bateman reached first after an errant throw to first base. Chris Sabin bunted down the first base line to attempt to advance Bateman when the pitcher threw the ball away again allowing Sabin to reach first and Bateman to advance to third. With runners on first and third, brother Brady Bateman hit a RBI double to left center to score Seth Bateman. Bennett came up with another RBI double to score Sabin. Dunham grounded out to the third baseman to record the second out. With two outs, Gering reached on another Wolverine error from the third baseman allowing Brady Bateman to score. Blackmore then hit a RBI single to score Bennett. Nick Sabin then came up with a huge two run double to the left field fence to score Gering and Blackmore to make the score 7 – 0 Badgers. Weiser got their second hit of the ballgame in the bottom of the seventh only to strand him at third to end the game.

Badger hits: Brady Bateman (2B), Bennett – 2 (2B), Blackmore, Nick Sabin (2B)

Senior pitcher Vince Bennett won two games at the tournament, striking out 15 batters, walking five in 13 innings while not allowing an earned run. He also led the team in hitting going 5 for 9 (.556 BA) at the plate, scoring four runs and four RBI’s with a double and triple.

The Badgers set a new standard this year by reaching 24 wins with only 3 losses while not losing in nearly two months. Two of the losses came within the first seven games against schools bigger (4A-Sandpoint & 5A-Coeur d’Alene) than Bonners Ferry.

The Badgers will lose three seniors (Bennett, Gering, Blackmore) to graduation but should be in good shape next year to defend their League and District titles.