Sandpoint Majors undefeated so far at the District All-Star Tournament
—Courtesy photo Happy teammates await Hunter Jacobson after he belted a grand slam in a big win over Coeur d’Alene last weekend at the Majors All-Star tournament. Two Sandpoint teams have games on tap this weekend, as well.
—Courtesy photo Colin Roos threw four strong innings to help lead the Majors to a 5-4 win over rival Lakeland.
SANDPOINT — In a sign that illustrates the resurgence of baseball in Sandpoint, the Majors All-Star team went 3-0 during the opening weekend of the District All-Star Tournament in Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, putting them in solid position heading into this weekend’s spate of games.
Using strong pitching and defense, Sandpoint beat Post Falls 5-2, Lakeland 5-4 and Coeur d’Alene 12-9, relatively low-scoring games for an All-Star tourney, which often boast potent lineups. The wins set up a huge game on Friday, when the lone two remaining teams meet up in Sandpoint and Lewiston, with first pitch at 5:30 p.m. at Canfield Fields.
Hunter Jacobson blasted a grand slam to spark the offense in the win over Coeur d’Alene. Colin Roos pitched four strong innings in the win over Lakeland, with a sterling 73 percent striker percentage, Blake Sherrill had two hits, two RBIs and earned the save on the mound, while Ethan Butler belted a home run.
The Majors will wrap up pool play with a game against Hayden at noon on Sunday in Rathdrum, looking to continue to make the routine plays and not give opponent’s opportunities to cash in.
The 9-10 year-old Sandpoint All-Stars were also in action last weekend, and even though they finished 0-3, they averaged nine runs a game in defeat and were very close to winning a couple of the games.
The 9-10 year-old team will look to break through for a win with games on tap against Coeur d’Alene on Thursday, at 5:30 p.m. in Rathdrum, Friday against Lewiston at 3 p.m. at Canfield, and finally against Post Falls on Sunday, at 9 a.m. in Rathdrum.
While the baseball results were solid for the local teams, Sandpoint Little League president and majors assistant coach Tony Butler was most proud of the myriad compliments he received from tournament organizers and opposing coaching, congratulating his players on how well they represented Sandpoint. Butler said it’s nothing new for Sandpoint, a reputation that has been cultivated for years.
In the end, winning the respect of the opponent is what matters most, so well done Sandpoint players and coaches.
There is a link to Tourney Machine at www.sandpointlittleleague.com that has all of the tournament scores and schedules.