Sandpoint baseball swept by Moscow in emotional, thrilling doubleheader
Jack Zimmerman rounds third base and sprints toward home during the ninth inning of last year's doubleheader against Moscow.
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE)
Auggie Lehman makes a throw to first base on Tuesday.
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE)
Ethan Butler hits a triple on Tuesday.
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE)
Cameron Garcia singles on Tuesday.
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE)
Jack Zimmerman celebrates after scoring the game tying run in the first game on Tuesday.
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE)
Kody MacDonald pitches on Tuesday.
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE)
Max Thielbahr pitches on Tuesday.
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE)
SANDPOINT — Emotions were high during Tuesday's doubleheader between Sandpoint baseball and Moscow at War Memorial Field — and rightfully so.
Both teams knew what was at stake. All the Bulldogs needed was one win to secure the league title and the No. 1 seed to the 4A Region 1 tournament that starts on Monday. While the Bears were looking for a sweep to keep their hopes for both alive.
Unfortunately for Sandpoint, the latter happened. That means the Bulldogs will have to win both games when they head to Lakeland on Thursday to guarantee themselves the No. 1 seed.
That's certainly not the scenario SHS was hoping for, but the Bulldogs were inches away from winning the opener on Tuesday in walk-off fashion.
After falling behind 5-1 at the end of first inning, the Bears silenced Sandpoint's bats and battled back to grab a 7-5 lead in the top of the seventh.
With the game on the line, the Bulldogs had to respond in the bottom of the inning — and they did. Cody Newhart singled to left field to score Cameron Garcia and Jack Zimmerman. That knotted the game at 7-7 and the two teams went to extra innings.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Sandpoint saw its opportunity to secure a walk-off victory over the Bears. With one out and Zimmerman on second base, Max Thielbahr hit a double. Zimmerman flew around third base and headed toward home where he was tagged out at the plate. The win was right there, but it wasn't meant to be.
In the top of the 10th, Moscow scored four runs and the Bulldogs were unable to respond, allowing the Bears to secure an 11-7 win.
Thielbahr went 3 for 5 in the game.
The second game was all Moscow. The Bulldogs led 2-1 after the first inning, but the Bears scored eight runs in the third to gain control en route to a 13-4 victory.
Evan Williams had two hits in the game and Auggie Lehman tallied two RBIs.
The Bulldogs swept the Bears in Moscow on March 27.
Moscow finishes the regular season with an 8-8 record in the Inland Empire League. SHS currently sits at 7-7 in league with two games to go.
The Bulldogs (14-7) travel to Rathdrum at 2 p.m. Thursday for a doubleheader to wrap up the regular season.
FIRST GAME
Moscow 100 023 100 4 — 11 9 3
Sandpoint 500 000 200 0 — 7 7 5
Redinger, No. 11 (7) and Bales; Avery Bocksch, Kody MacDonald (6), Max Thielbahr (7), Zeke Roop (10) and Trevor Brackett.
HITS: M — Abendroth 3, Redinger 2, Stazkow 2, Bales, No. 10. SHS — Thielbahr 3, Newhart, Butler, Bocksch, Garcia.
2B — Thielbahr, Redinger. 3B — Butler.
SECOND GAME
Moscow 118 012 1 — 13 11 2
Sandpoint 200 020 0 — 4 7 6
Abendroth, McLaughlin (4) and Bales; Auggie Lehman, Zeke Roop (3), Blake Sherrill (6) and Kody MacDonald.
HITS: M — Kiblen 3, Redinger 2, Abendroth 2, Stazkow 2, Isakson, No. 10. SHS — Williams 2, Thielbahr, Zimmerman, MacDonald, Lehman, Bocksch. 2B — Kiblen. 3B — Isakson.
