Zimmerman and Dillon stay hot in Bulldogs win
Jack Zimmerman releases a pitch against Bonners Ferry at War Memorial Field on Tuesday.
(Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
BOISE — When junior Jack Zimmerman gets the bat going for the Sandpoint High School baseball team, it's guaranteed to be a long day for the opposing team.
As the Bonneville Bees found out, the outfielder went 3-for-3 with two triples and an RBI.
“He was just smoking baseballs,” Sandpoint baseball coach Chase Tigert said. “He’s just a menace on the base path and he just has a swagger about him when he goes up to bat.”
The Bulldogs defeated the Bees 7-2 in a loser-out Idaho Class 4A state tournament game at Bishop Kelly High School on Friday.
“I’m so proud of those kids, that is what Sandpoint baseball is all about,” Tigert said. “Today was really a team effort and everyone on this team is family. That’s why we were able to switch things up at the end of the season. These kids are really close.”
Sandpoint failed to get a knock on Thursday in its first round matchup against Bishop Kelly, against Bonneville; the Bulldogs rebounded and got 10 hits.
“It came back to basics and process,” Tigert said. “You can’t focus on the product; you have to focus on the process. We had to focus on the things that we could control, that being energy and competitiveness.”
Austin Dillon pitched his third complete game in a row for Sandpoint. Up until the seventh inning, the junior had only allowed two hits. He finished the game allowing two runs on six hits, striking out three.
“He’s just a textbook pitcher,” Tigert said. “I had a conversation with him after the game and told him that he just did everything I expect a pitcher to do. He’s not a thrower; he's a pitcher, and that’s the biggest compliment I can possibly give him.”
Sandpoint will face off against Pocatello in the consolation championship today at 10 a.m. MST.
SANDPOINT 201 202 — 7 10 0
BONNEVILLE 000 011 — 2 6 0
Austin Dillon and Auggie Lehman. David Luce, Carter Cheney (4), and Craeton Cheney.
HITS: SPT — D. Lehman, MacDonald, Zimmerman 3, A. Lehman, Butler, Mellander, Dillon, Sherrill. BONN — Dahlberg, Perez, Robison, Martinson, Martin 2. 2B — Butler, Mellander, Robison. 3B — Zimmerman 2.