SHS throws no-hitter against Coeur d'Alene

SANDPOINT — Locating his fastball masterfully and mixing in enough breaking balls to keep the hitters honest, Sandpoint sophomore Ben Fisher tossed a no-hitter to lead the Bulldogs to a 4-0 blanking of Coeur d’Alene Tuesday in Inland Empire League action at sun-soaked War Memorial Field.

Fisher was able to get ahead of the Viking hitters all game, throwing mostly first pitch strikes and getting the bulk of his 11 strikeouts while pounding the outside corner of the plate. He didn’t walk a batter and finished the game in grand style, striking out the side and securing his first ever no-hitter.

“I’m pretty pumped. They (coaches) kept telling me to just hit my spots,” said Fisher after the game. “I had the curveball working pretty good and was just painting the outside corner with my fastball.”

Sandpoint (7-6, 4-5) head coach Doug Semones said the key to Fisher’s success was pounding the strikezone from the first pitch to the final punch out. Many of the strikeouts came by way of the Vikings watching the third strike.

“He dominated them, no question,” said Semones. “It was an impressive performance.”

Senior Kyle Gibson hit a towering home run and Jake Semones added two doubles, one of which one-hopped into the right field bleachers and may have even cleared the fence had it been up, to provide all of the run support that would be needed. Gibson, who has ran track the last two years before coming out for baseball this season, said it was as hard as he’s ever hit a ball. With no outfield fence the ball rolled nearly to the rest rooms in straight away center and the speedy Gibson crossed home plate before the Vikings were able to get the ball back to the infield.

Coeur d’Alene (6-11, 4-7) managed only one base runner, who reached on a close play that was ruled an error by Sandpoint, which as the home team keeps the official book. On the play Matt Cade bunted a ball back to Fisher, who then bounced a throw that first baseman Bryce Olin was unable to dig out. Semones and bench coach Rick Klontz said a good throw would have beaten the runner by a step, and both felt it should be scored an error.

Sandpoint hosts Lake City in a doubleheader on Thursday at War Memorial Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Cd’A 000 000 0 — 0 0 0

Sandpoint 210 001 x — 4 7 1

Jackson Seamon, Jeff Kamphause (6) and Tyler Woodall; Ben Fisher and Cody Reichart. W — Fisher. L — Seamon.

HITS: Cd’A — None. Spt — Semones 2, Fisher, Cramer, Lang, Vanderpool, Gibson. 2B — Semones 2. HR — Gibson.