Spartan baseball falls to Kellogg in loser-out game
Brendan Reeves reaches first base on a single during the home doubleheader against Timberlake on April 16.
(File photo by DYLAN GREENE)
KELLOGG — A seven-run second inning was too much for Priest River baseball to overcome in a 14-6 loss at No. 3 Kellogg in the 3A District 1 loser-out game on Tuesday.
The defeat ended the Spartans season.
Priest River led 2-0 early, but a slew of errors in the bottom of the second inning allowed the Wildcats to take control.
"It's kind of been our M.O.," head coach Mark Schultz said. "We have one bad inning where we self-implode a little bit. You take away that second inning, were in this game 7-6 and that changes the whole dynamic."
The Spartans had 13 errors in Tuesday's game. Senior Konner Johnson started on the mound and tossed five strikeouts over four innings while allowing eight hits. All 11 runs that were scored while Johnson was on the mound were unearned.
"I tell the guys all the time, 'I know you don't mean to [commit errors], but this is what's costing us victories,'" Schultz said.
Despite falling behind, the Spartans fought until the final out. It's something they've done all season and that effort hasn't gone unnoticed.
"They never quit no matter what the score is," Schultz said.
This was the final game for Priest River's five seniors — Coby Rogers, Gavin Doster, Brendan Reeves, Tyson Brooks and Konner Johnson. Schultz said this senior class did a great job mentoring the underclassmen and their contributions to the program will be felt for years to come.
"The seniors are going to be missed dramatically because they were just awesome leaders this year," he said.
Reeves went 3 for 4 in Tuesday's game and Johnson drove in a pair of runs on two hits. Rogers hit a solo home run in the fifth.
On Monday, fell to No. 1 seed Bonners Ferry 12-1 in the first round of the 3A District 1 tournament.
Priest River finishes the season with a 1-19 record. Schultz said his team grew every game this spring and he believes the younger players learned a lot.
"When you're a freshman or a sophomore and you get a lot of innings on the varsity level, that is just going to make you so much better by the time you're a junior and senior," he said.
Priest River 201 020 1 — 6 7 13
Kellogg 070 421 X — 14 9 5
Konner Johnson, Tyson Brooks (5) and Brendan Reeves; Eixenberger, Hoffman (5) and Frohlich.
HITS: PR — B. Reeves 3, Johnson 2, Rogers, Patterson. K — Luna 2, Jerome 2, Frohlich 2, Rainio, Hoffman, White. 2B — Johnson 2, B. Reeves, Patterson, Hoffman. HR — Rogers.
Priest River 000 10 — 1 3 7
Bonners Ferry 00(11) 1X — 12 7 4
Everett Hannah, Brendan Reeves (3) and Tyson Troudt; Dahl, Banning (5) and Bateman.
HITS: PR — Hannah, Rogers, Johnson. BF — Rice 2, B. Bateman, Banning, T. Bateman, Hammons, Eby. 2B — Rice 2, Eby.