Lakers surprise Lewis-Clark to win 7-5

Left-hander Zac Manor kept Lewis-Clark off-balance and the Hawkins brothers combined for four home runs as the Sandpoint Riley Creek Lakers surprised the Lewis-Clark Twins 7-5 in the second round of the class AA American Legion Area A (district) tournament Friday at Memorial Field.

Manor struck out five in a complete-game (nine-inning) effort, shutting out No. 2 seed Lewis-Clark for seven innings before the Twins scored five in the eighth.

Sandpoint coach Rick Klontz tabbed Manor to pitch because he had beaten the Twins earlier in the season in Lewiston.

"Zac Manor was money on the hill," Klontz said. "He's got a good fastball, but he'll lull a hitter to sleep with a lot of offspeed stuff. He came up big, and that was huge for us."

No. 3 seed Sandpoint (25-10) will play No. 1 seed Coeur d'Alene (36-13) today at 1 p.m. in the semifinals.

The winner will advance to Sunday's title game at 10 a.m., and clinch a berth to the state tournament Aug. 3-7 in Lewiston. The loser will drop down into a loser-out game tonight at 7.

Dusty Hawkins followed Cody Reichart's RBI single with a two-run homer as Sandpoint took a 4-0 lead in the first inning over Lewis-Clark. Woody Hawkins added a solo homer in the second inning, and Cory Hawkins hit solo homers in the third and fifth innings to boost the Lakers' lead to 7-0.

Scott Chance hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Lewis-Clark. Left-hander Josh Richardson pitched a complete game and took the loss for the Twins.

"We've played them close all year," Klontz said. "They beat us three out of four in league, but in one of those we were up 5-0 in the seventh and lost."

Klontz said Tyler Lichty would be the probable starter today against the Lumbermen, who also took three of four from the Lakers during North Idaho League play.

"We can play with Coeur d'Alene," Klontz said. "Any time we've got Tyler or Cory (Hawkins) on the hill, our chances are pretty good."

Coeur d'Alene beat Prairie 13-4 in Friday's first game.

Cranbrook defeated Prairie 11-9 in a loser-out game later in the day.

Lewis-Clark faced Trail in a loser-out game late Friday.

? Late Thursday, Dusty Hawkins pitched six shutout innings after giving up three first-inning runs, and also hit a home run as Sandpoint beat Cranbrook 19-3 in seven innings in a first-round game.

CLASS AA

AREA A TOURNAMENT

At Memorial Field, Sandpoint

Thursday

Prairie 15, Trail 10

Sandpoint 19, Cranbrook 3, 7 innings

Friday

Coeur d'Alene 13, Prairie 4

Sandpoint 7, Lewis-Clark 5

Cranbrook 11, Prairie 9, loser out

Game 6 — Trail (17-29) vs. Lewis-Clark (27-19), late

Saturday

Game 7 — Coeur d'Alene (36-13) vs. Sandpoint (25-10), 1 p.m.

Game 8 — Cranbrook (5-32) vs. winner Game 6, 4 p.m.

Game 9 — Winner Game 8 vs. loser Game 7, 7 p.m.

Sunday

Game 10 — Winner Game 7 vs. winner Game 9, 10 a.m. (championship)

Game 11 — If-necessary championship game, TBA