Bulldogs lose 'heartbreaker'

MOSCOW — Sandpoint played its best game of the season Thursday in a loser out game at the 4A Region 1 tournament in Moscow, building a 5-2 lead over the Bears at one point, but Moscow rallied for a 7-6 win in eight innings to end Sandpoint’s season.

Sophomore Rachel Hammack had two hits and two RBIs, including one to put the Bulldogs ahead 6-5 in the top of the eighth inning. Sandpoint (1-25) had the bases loaded in that inning, and an obstruction call and questionable decision by the umpire to send base runners back cost Sandpoint another run. Moscow (9-16) then plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth to advance to play Lakeland.

“I told the girls we played our best game of the season today,” said head coach Derek Dickinson, who feels his team is just beginning to peak. “We laid it on the line today, which is all you can ask for as a coach.”

Freshman Kymmy DaVault had a clutch pinch hit two RBI single in a four-run fifth inning, and Sandpoint eventually built a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning. Sandpoint’s sophomore ace pitcher Molly Givens went all eight innings, keeping her team in the game and earning the respect of her coach.

“Molly just pitched her guts out, she deserved to win,” said Dickenson, whose young team suffered a number of hard-luck losses this season. “It was a heartbreaking loss. We really wanted to win this one.”

Sandpoint 040 010 01 — 6 10 4

Moscow 200 012 02 — 7 9 3

Molly Givens and Erin Cometto; Lowe and Westberg. W — Lowe. L — Westberg.

HITS: Spt — Hammack 2, Nusbaum, DaVault, Cometto, Guercio, Givens, Adams, Rodriguez, Sheldon. Mos — Smith, Westberg, Lowe 2, Lynn 2, Kleffner 3. 2B — Guercio, Smith, Westberg. 3B — Cometto.