Pettit, Oliver lead Bulldogs to DH split with Bears
—Photo by ERIC PLUMMER Sandpoint JV baseball player Tobin Pincher brings the barrel in just enough to line a single into right field, eventually scoring when Hunter Donahoe lined a double into the gap in JV baseball action against Moscow on Tuesday at sunny Pine St. Field. The Bulldogs won the first game, behind strong pitching from Thomas Riley and Donahoe, before falling in the second game.
MOSCOW — Tyrone Larson and Preston Pettit combined on a four-hitter, and the Bulldogs staged a three-run seventh inning rally to win the opener 5-4 over the Bears in a key 4A Inland Empire League baseball doubleheader on Tuesday in Moscow.
The Bulldogs (7-10, 2-2 4A IEL) trailed by the score of 4-2 heading into the final inning, when Caiden Oliver led off with a base hit and Paul Sundquist earned a walk. Trey Flint followed with a huge double and Nick Holland beat out a ground ball to help score the winning run.
Sophomore Preston Pettit put up two scoreless frames to close out the game, picking up his first varsity win after the bats came alive in the seventh.
“Caiden had a huge game. He made really nice plays on defense,” praised Bulldogs head coach Scott Fitchett. “Coming from behind today was huge, we're just growing up.”
Wes Holland had two hits in the nightcap to back starter Patrick Kummer, and the Bulldogs came along late by scoring four runs in the last three innings and cutting the lead to one in the fifth, but a slow start proved costly in the 8-4 loss.
“We responded well at the end,” said Fitchett of the second game. “We just didn't have energy and engagement early.”
There is the most parity in years in the 4A North, with Moscow (3-3), Sandpoint (2-2) and Lakeland (1-1) all sitting at .500 in league play.
The Bulldogs still have four huge games against the Hawks, starting next Tuesday when the rival Hawks invade War Memorial Field.
Game 1
Sandpoint 001 100 3 — 5 9 1
Moscow 101 020 0 — 4 4 1
Tyrone Larson, Preston Pettit (5) and Nick Holland. W — Pettit.
HITS: Spt — Oliver, Sundquist, Edlund, N. Holland, Flint 2, Norris 2, Dewey. Mos — Gosse 3, Richardson 1. 2B — Flint, Edlund.
Game 2
Sandpoint 000 020 2 — 4 6 1
Moscow 210 023 0 — 8 11 1
Patrick Kummer, Walker Jacobson (6) and Holland and Pettit. L — Kummer.
HITS: Spt — Oliver, Sundquist, Dewey, W. Holland 2, Jacobson. Mos — Gosse 2, Gray, Larson, Reddinger, Robertson 3, Richardson, Slew, Carscallen.