Around the Horn: Malad, Salmon, Marsh Valley, Bonneville all qualify for state tournament
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EASTERN IDAHO — Four local teams finished their regional tournaments with victories, clinching spots in next week’s state tournament.
The Bonneville Bees and Malad Dragons will both look to repeat as champs, while the Marsh Valley Eagles look to return to the peak they have reached three times before. The Salmon Savages, a program less than a decade old, will appear in their first-ever state tournament.
Here is what happened Saturday on diamonds across Idaho:
6A
Thunder Ridge
The Titans saw their season end on a 13-4 loss to conference foe Rigby.
Thunder Ridge won its regional tournament opener Friday, beating the Trojans behind senior Kutter Lish. They followed the win with an 11-1 loss to host Owyhee Friday evening.
Despite a two-RBI day from Kanyon Lish, the Titans were eliminated from the tournament by Rigby.
Rigby
The Trojans, after bouncing back from a Friday loss to beat Thunder Ridge, fell 6-1 to Owyhee and saw their season end as well.
Senior Bentley Brower scored Rigby’s only run in the first inning.
The Storm answered right back with a run of their own in the bottom half, and went on to score six unanswered to claim the 6A West 1 Regional crown and a state berth.
Highland
The Rams, who fell one out shy of winning both games Friday, won Saturday morning’s 6A East Region game three, beating Centennial 10-4, led by senior Cooper Colonel, who banged out three hits and knocked in three runs.
Middleton proved too much for Highland, though. The reigning 6A state champion Vikings used a strong start from Cam Lenius and a three-run first-inning rally to knock off host Highland.
Senior Marshall Glenn was once again an effective lead-off man for the Rams, going 2-for-4. Colonel scored Highland’s only run, singling to start the top of the second, then coming around to score on a balk.
5A
Bonneville
The reigning 5A state champion Bees are once again dancing, after beating Burley 11-1 in five innings to win the 5A East Regional qualifier.
Bonneville got another dominant outing from senior Carter Bowen, who pitched all five innings, allowing five hits and one run. Junior Tanner Miller drove in a game-high four runs, and senior Gavin Webb hit another homer.
Preston
Burley eliminated Preston to earn the showdown with Bonneville.
Bobcat starter Braxton Warr held Preston scoreless on five hits across 6-2/3 innings.
Preston had the tying run at third when the game ended.
Senior Conner Thomson kept Preston in the game, allowing six hits and one run in his 6-inning complete game.
Blackfoot
The Broncos beat Lewiston 8-2 Saturday morning, behind senior Conner Cannon, who allowed eight hits and two runs in his 6-2/3 innings of work, to qualify for the 5A West Regional championship round.
But host Skyview did just enough to win the region without needing a winner-take-all game, topping Blackfoot 6-5.
Cannon went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the loss.
Idaho Falls
The Tigers fell 12-2 by five-inning run-rule in the championship round of the 5A North Regional qualifier, after beating rival Hillcrest to get there.
Seniors Rooke Hawker and Makai Ferguson, and sophomore Treygan Riedle each drove in multiple runs to help Idaho Falls knock off the Knights.
Idaho Falls could muster just seven hits and two runs against host Sandpoint, who took advantage of six walks and two hit batsmen to score 12 runs on just eight hits.
Hillcrest
The Knights saw their season come to an end, unable to slow the Idaho Falls offense.
Senior Tyler Bodily picked up two hits and two RBIs in Hillcrest’s 8-4 loss.
Skyline
The Grizz finished their season going 0-2 in the 5A South Regional qualifier, with losses to Bishop Kelly and host Twin Falls.
Junior Hayden Nahay homered and drove in all three runs in Skyline’s 11-3 loss to the Bruins Saturday.
4A
Marsh Valley
The 4A division’s No. 3 seed Marsh Valley Eagles are state-bound after beating Filer twice Saturday, 5-4 and 9-4, completing a comeback from Friday’s loss.
READ HERE | Marsh Valley bounces back from game-one loss, takes Saturday pair to qualify for state
South Fremont
The Cougars were bounced from the regional tournament and had their season come to an end in a 10-0 loss to Cole Valley Christian.
Junior Tayson Farley doubled in the loss, providing South Fremont with one of its four hits, and only extra-base hit.
3A
Malad
The reigning 3A state champion Dragons will have a chance to defend their crown after winning the 3A South Regional qualifier.
Malad got a complete game from senior Kurt Ward, on his birthday, to clinch their spot.
READ HERE| Birthday boy Kurt Ward pitches Malad back into the state championship
Salmon
The Savages trounced their way through the 3A East Region, beating Wendell by run-rule twice to earn the program’s first-ever state tournament appearance.
Salmon was led by junior Eli Pakuer, who pitched 5 innings allowing three unearned runs, and senior Reuel McCallum, who drove in four runs on two hits.
The Savages have outscored their opponents 63 to five since the start of the playoffs.
Firth
Firth won a slugfest against North Fremont to earn a spot in the 3A West Regional tournament championship round. There, the Cougars were slugged by host Melba, losing 16-5 in five innings.
Quinton Hall led Firth with four RBIs, with three apiece coming from Cooper Park, Kamdon Bott and Teagan Gray in a 26-17 victory over the Huskies.
Park and Gray led the way again in Firth’s loss to Melba, tallying two RBIs each.
North Fremont
The Huskies put on their own offensive fireworks display in the loss to Firth, with freshman Carter Stegelmeier pacing North Fremont.
Stegelmeier went 2-for-3 with a double and four RBIs. Sophomore Reuger Lenz and senior Cameron Shuldberg drove in three runs each.
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