Bulldogs fall short in 4A state play-in game
LEWISTON — Once again, the Bulldogs brought solid pitching and defense to the field with a state berth on the line, but once again they came up just short on the offensive end.
Led by a strong pitching performance from Patrick Kummer and several defensive gems, Sandpoint kept things close during the 4A state play-in game Saturday in Lewiston, but could not quite close the deal, falling 2-1 to Middleton in a loss head coach Scott Fitchett called a heartbreaker.
“This was as good a game as we’ve played defensively. Middleton’s first run was a seeing eye single, and the second run came on a bloop single,” lamented Fitchett, whose team lost 2-0 in similar fashion to Lakeland in the district championship game. “Two chances to go to state, and we were so close. We were just never able to get the big hit.”
Kummer went the distance in defeat for the Bulldogs (9-15), striking out four and letting his defense work behind him. Fitchett, who loves Kummer’s mental toughness, handed him the ball in the biggest game again, and again he held a team in check.
“He was hitting his spots and changing speeds,” described Fitchett of his senior. “It was as effective as he’s been his whole career.”
Middleton (7-13) broke open a scoreless game with a run in the fourth inning, before Davan Norris drove in Caleb Edlund to tie the game at 1-1 heading into the sixth inning, when the Vikings were able to manufacture the winning run on a flair over the infield.
Catcher Nick Holland had two hits and a double, and Trey Flint had two hits for the Bulldogs, as each team finished with seven hits. The Vikings loaded the bases in the second inning, but the threat was stopped when Caiden Oliver made a catch in the outfield and gunned down a runner at home for a double play to keep things scoreless.
“It set the tone that we were going to play good defense,” said Fitchett, who felt his team never quite settled in offensively with its season hanging in the balance. “We pressed too much early. We probably struck out eight times, mostly on just straight fastballs.”
The Bulldogs nearly tied things up in the seventh, advancing a runner to third base with two outs, but could not cash in once again.
Despite missing out on state with a pair of gritty season-ending losses, there were big strides for the program in Fitchett’s third year at the helm, and he’s confident the upward trend will continue.
“This is the next step for us. The first year was trying to build some fundamentals, last year was trying to prove we could be in any game, and now it’s time to take the next step and go get it,” said Fitchett. “In the back of our minds, we’re still questioning. We’re right there, we’ll see if we can take the next step.”
Sandpoint 000 010 0 — 1 7 0
Middleton 000 101 x — 2 7 2
Patrick Kummer and Nick Holland. L — Kummer.
HITS: Spt — Norris, Holland 2, Flint 2, Pettit, Oliver.2B — Holland.