Bulldogs suffer hard luck loss to Hawks

SANDPOINT — Lakeland scored two runs on a passed ball to take a 7-5 lead in the seventh inning, then induced a game-ending double play to prevent the tying run at third from scoring to win a wild nonleague baseball game 7-6 Tuesday afternoon at War Memorial Field.

Caleb Guerber had three hits, including two doubles, to lead the Lakeland (3-11) offense, which was out-hit 10-7 for the game. Head coach Jason Bradbury was just happy to escape with the win in a game featuring 14 errors.

“In the first inning we had to get five outs. Seems like every error we made they came around and scored,” said Bradbury. “We never gave up with the bats and that’s been a key for us.”

After falling behind 5-2 in the fifth, Sandpoint rallied to tie the game behind a two-run double by Ben Fisher, who along with Joel Cramer and Jake Semones each tallied two hits on the game.

Down 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Sandpoint rallied to within one 7-6, then had runners at the corners before Cole Tonnemacher grounded into a game-ending double play on a high chopper to first.

Sandpoint (6-13) coach Chris Young had high praise for Daniel Charvoz, who went the distance on the mound but was hurt by eight Bulldog errors.

“Solid performance on the hill today,” said Young of Charvoz. “He threw both his fastball and curveball for strikes.”

Sandpoint will need a short memory as they play the most crucial games of their season today against Moscow. The Bulldogs will resume a previous game that was rained out, leading the Bears 6-2 in the top of the fifth. After the conclusion of what is essentially a three inning game, they’ll play the second half of the doubleheader.

The Bulldogs have three games remaining with the Bears, counting today’s two, and need to win two of them to gain home field advantage for the district playoffs.

“We’re going to have to go after it, no time to rest,” said Young of the first game. “No matter what happens in first game, we have to keep an even keel.”

First pitch is today at 4 p.m. at War Memorial Field.

Lakeland   020 030 2 — 7    7    6

Sandpoint 200 030 1 — 6   10    8

Daniel Mobeck and Cody Van Duyne; Daniel Charvoz and Cory Neer. W — Mobeck (2-2). L — Charvoz.

HITS: Lak — Mobeck, South, Guerber 3, Cooper, Robbins. Spt — Cramer 2, Semones 2, Fisher 2, Tonnemacher, Halpin, Neer, Hamilton.