Oliver, Edlund, Holland power Bulldogs to win

MOSCOW — Caiden Oliver, Nick Holland and Caleb Edlund each pounded out three hits, leading Sandpoint to a 7-5 win over Moscow in the opener of a 4A Inland Empire League baseball doubleheader late Monday night in Moscow.

The Bulldogs (3-9, 1-3 4A IEL) capped a busy stretch of seven road games in 10 days, the final four of which were pivotal league showdowns. Patrick Kummer relieved Wes Holland early in the game, throwing four innings of solid work, Talon Dewey pitched a scoreless frame and Malaki Smith closed things out, as the game went into the eighth inning tied 4-4.

The Bulldogs plated three runs in the top of the eighth, keyed by consecutive hits from Oliver, Edlund and Paul Sundquist, to help put the game away. Bulldogs head coach Scott Fitchett called it a great sustained effort, his team’s best performance in two years both mentally and physically.

“Caleb and Nick really came through in the clutch. Caleb has been a line drive machine and Paul Sundquist is becoming a really dangerous hitter,” said Fitchett. “I can’t say enough about the gritiness of our pitchers. Wes, Malaki, Patrick and Talon really battled.”

Things didn’t go so well in the nightcap, as the rigorous schedule finally took its toll on a tired pitching staff and the Bears (5-4, 1-1 4A IEL) erupted for 19 runs in the first three innings of a 27-6 blowout win.

After giving up seven runs in the first, the Bulldogs bounced back to score four in the second, before a 12 run third inning by the Bears blew the five-inning game open. Sundquist and Jackson Russo each had two hits in defeat, as the Bulldogs were forced to use Russo and Chandler Brewington, who don’t normally pitch, to get through the game.

“We gave a great effort but after seven road games in 10 days and dealing with a couple injuries to pitchers, we just didn’t have anything left in the tank,” said Fitchett of the nightcap. “We battled and did what we could but the tough schedule got to us. I’m very proud of the guys. The score in no way reflected the way we played or who we are.”

Sandpoint is at Timberlake on Friday.

Game 1

Sandpoint 310 000 03 — 7 13 4

Moscow  110 020 01 — 5 8 3

Jake Randall, Glenn Gosse (8) and Alec Martin; Wes Holland, Patrick Kummer (2), Talon Dewey (5) and Paul Sundquist. W — Dewey. L — Gosse.

HITS: Spt — Oliver 3, Edlund 3, Sundquist, Bottomley, Holland 3, Russo, Brewington. Mos — Richardson, Glenn Gosse, Randall 3 (2B), Larson 2 (2-2B), Carscallen, Theo Howard.

Game 2

Sandpoint 040 02 — 6 6 5

Moscow  70(12) 9x — 27 16 3

Theo Howard and Alec Martin; Malaki Smith, W. Holland, Chandler Brewington and N. Holland. W — Howard. L — Smith.

HITS: Spt — Sundquist 2 (2B), Russo 2, Holland, Irish. Mos — Richardson 2 (3B), Alec Martin 2 (2B), Jake Randall 2 (2B), Larson 2 (2-2B), Redinger 4 (2-3B), Robertson, McNeel (2B), Theo Howard 2 (2B).