Badgers split with Tigers in IML baseball twinbill
Photo by TANNA YEOUMANS Chris Sabin crossed home plate, bringing in a point for the team.
Photo by TANNA YEOUMANS Ty Bateman at bat, striving to bring his best for the team.
Photo by TANNA YEOUMANS Chris Sabin at bat, kept his eye on the ball and made quick decisions in order to keep from striking out.
The Bonners Ferry Badgers’ 23-game Intermountain League winning streak was snapped in the first game of a doubleheader against their rival Timberlake Tigers. The last time the Badgers lost a league game was back in April 2015 against the Tigers. The Badgers are 7-4 overall and 3-1 in IML.
GAME 1: Timberlake 3 Bonners Ferry 2
Timberlake pitcher Jack MacDonald and Badger pitcher Will Parr struck out 8 batters each in a classic pitching duel but Timberlake prevailed on a Badger mental fielding error that allowed the eventual winning run.
see BASEBALL, B6
BASEBALL
from B1
Timberlake scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning after consecutive singles to start the inning capped by a 2-run double by Timberlake’s Dustin Smith. He was tagged out at third base attempting to stretch the hit to a triple.
The next batter reached on an infield single that was not played properly. The batter reached second base on a passed ball and was awarded third on a balk. He later scored on a two-out single.
Bonners Ferry scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning after Seamus Skeen and Brady Bateman walked. Seth Bateman hit a RBI single to score Skeen and Shayne Walker hit a sacrifice fly to score Brady Bateman. The Badgers were shut down the last two innings by Timberlake to preserve the win. Seth Bateman ended up with two hits for Bonners Ferry.
GAME 2: Bonners Ferry 6, Timberlake 3
The Badgers bounced back in game two as senior Shayne Walker threw a complete game two hitter while striking out 10 and walking three batters.
Timberlake scored one run in the top of the first but Bonners Ferry came back with two runs in their half of the first inning, led by two walks and singles by Ty Bateman and Mason Eby.
The Badgers added another run in the bottom of the second as James Leach struck out but reached on a passed ball. He later scored on a RBI single from Shayne Walker. Timberlake scored two runs in the top of the third to tie the game 3–3 but the Badgers got three more in the bottom of the fifth inning after Will Parr singled and James Leach executed a great bunt to move Parr to second. Jared Fess then single to put runners at the corners. Brady Bateman walked to load the bases and Seth Bateman was also walked to score Parr. Chris Sabin then hit a single to score Fess and Ty Bateman was hit by a pitch to score Brady Bateman.
Mason Eby came in on relief of Walker in the top of the 7th inning due to the pitch count rule as earned the save for the Badgers.
The Badgers are in search of their unprecedented fourth straight IML title. Both teams play each other next Tuesday, May 1 in Spirit Lake that will most likely will be for the league crown.