U14 North Idaho Lakers finish second in the Bringing Heat Wood Bat Tournament
(Photo courtesy of KEN OLER) Home-run hitters Kody MacDonald (left) and Mick Koch (right) pose together during the 14U Bringing the Heat Wood Bat Tournament on July 5.
The North Idaho Lakers Short A U14 team placed a close second in the Bringing Heat Wood Bat Tournament, which was held from July 5-7.
In the first game, home runs from Kody MacDonald and a game-tying shot from Mick Koch highlighted a 4-4 tie with the Iron Pigs, which set up a game against the Grizzlies on Saturday.
The Lakers won 12-3 thanks to Koch, who drove in four runners. Koch drove in runs on a ground-out in the first and his second home run of the tournament in the fifth. Cole Sanroman led things off on the pitcher’s mound for the Lakers. He surrendered zero runs on zero hits over three innings, striking out one. The Lakers racked up 14 hits in the game, with MacDonald, and Koch all managed multiple hits. MacDonald, Finn Mellander and Carter Sanroman collecting three hits apiece to lead the Lakers.
Next, the Lakers lost their first game of the tournament and the lead late in an 11-6 defeat to Yakima Valley Dirt Dawgs. The game was tied at three with Yakima batting in the bottom of the third when Grant Chapman singled on a 3-1 count, scoring one run. Despite the loss, the Lakers collect six hits in the high-scoring affair. Cole Sanroman, Kody MacDonald, Carter Sanroman, Jack Zimmerman, Mick Koch and Chase Sanroman each collected one hit to lead the Lakers.
In the fourth game, the Lakers lock up the 2-seed for the Championship game by defeating the Iron Pigs, 4-0. Jack Zimmerman got the Lakers started with single to left field and later scored on a Sanroman double. Mick Koch kept the inning alive with a triple to deep center field scoring Sanroman. The final two runs for the Lakers came on a Sanroman single, a Zach Leverich walk and Jack Zimmerman’s two-RBI single.
The Lakers finished in second place for the tournament after dropping the championship game to the Yakima Valley Dirt Dawgs in a 10-2 game.
The game was tied at two until the Dirt Dawgs scored eight runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jack Zimmerman started the game for the Lakers. He lasted two innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out two. Mick Koch, Cole Sanroman, and Shane Sherrill each contributed in relief. Carter Sanroman led the Lakers with two hits in three at-bats.
The NI Lakers Short A 14U Summer Prep Baseball Team will be competing from July 12–14 in the Kootenai Blazer Wood Bat Tournament in Spokane.