Bulldogs extend season by trouncing Bears

MOSCOW — With the season hanging in the balance, Nick Holland ripped three hits, Davan Norris added two hits and two RBIs, and Sandpoint got a solid pitching effort from three players, adding up to an 11-6 win over Moscow in the loser-out game of the 4A Region 1 baseball tournament on Saturday in Moscow.

The No. 3 seed Bulldogs (9-13) added at least two more games to their season with the win, and will now face the No. 1 seed and host Hawks in the championship game on Tuesday at 4 p.m., with the winner punching their ticket to state.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead over the No. 2 seed Bears, keyed by a big hit from Walker Jacobson, and continued to put up crooked numbers from there, getting production from throughout the lineup.

“It was one of the most complete efforts that we’ve had,” claimed Bulldogs head coach Scott Fitchett. “We won the beginning innings, we won the middle innings and we won the late innings.”

Sophomore Trey Flint continues to hit, adding two hits, and Caiden Oliver had a hit and scored twice to propel the offense. Talon Dewey picked up the win with three strong innings to start the game, with Preston Pettit working two important innings of middle relief before Patrick Kummer finished off the final two innings.

“Patrick came in and closed it out for us,” said Fitchett, lauding Kummer’s approach on the mound. “He pumped strikes, and he wanted the ball.”

The Bears threatened in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs, but second baseman Caleb Edlund made a defensive gem up the middle for the final out.

“It was one of the better defensive plays in my years here. Paul Sundquist also made a great play on defense, catching a line drive and doubling a kid off,” praised Fitchett. “It was a complete team effort. Everybody was in on it. We didn’t play flawless, but played a pretty damn good game.”

The Bulldogs now turn their attention to the Hawks, who took three of the four league games during the season, each of which was fairly close. Unlike past years, where only one 4A North team earned a state berth, the loser of the championship game gets to play in a state play-in game against the No. 3 seed from District 3 on Saturday in Lewiston.