Bulldogs fall to Hawks in district playoffs

RATHDRUM — Kyle Vandever hit a two-run single in the second inning and shortstop Scott Carr made a game-saving play in the seventh as the Lakeland Hawks edged the Sandpoint Bulldogs 4-3 in the semifinals of the 4A Region 1 baseball tournament Monday.

Sandpoint (10-9) will play host to Moscow (2-18) today at 4 in a loser-out game at War Memorial Field. The winner will play at Lakeland (8-9) in the championship game on Wednesday, and would need to beat the Hawks twice to win the title.

Cole Tonnemacher, who has been swinging a torrid bat of late, drove in all three runs for Sandpoint. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning, then singled in Cory Hawkins in the fifth to cut Lakeland’s lead to 4-3.

Vandever’s two-out, two-run single in the second tied the game. Cody VanDuyne’s RBI single in the third put Lakeland ahead, and the Hawks added a run on an error in the fourth.

Sandpoint rallied in the seventh inning, putting runners on second and third with two out. Bryce Olin hit a grounder into the hole, and Carr one-hopped a throw to first base to get him on a bang-bang play to end the game.

“It’s huge for us,” Lakeland coach Jason Bradbury said. “We went up to their place last week, and even though it didn’t mean anything in the regional seedings, ended up losing two bad ones. We were pretty nervous coming into this game. To get this win, you could see the sigh of relief in those kids.”

Sandpoint must win three straight games, in three straight days to keep their season alive. They’ll throw Ben Fisher today against Moscow.

“We’ve got to win three straight,” said Bulldogs coach Doug Semones. “Our backs are against the wall.”

Sandpoint 200 010 0 — 3 5 3

Lakeland 021 100 x — 4 8 1

Cory Hawkins and Cody Reichart; Cory Rohrenbach and Cody VanDuyne. W — Rohrenbach (3-2). L — Hawkins.

HITS: Spt — C. Hawkins, Tonnemacher 2, W. Hawkins, Cramer. LL — Guerber 2, VanDuyne, Carr, Burnett 2, South 2, Vandever. 2B — C. Hawkins, South. HR — Tonnemacher.