Sugar-Salem takes down Marsh Valley to advance to 4A title game and a chance at repeating as state champion

IDAHO FALLS – Marsh Valley and Sugar-Salem spent the season pummeling opponents into submission with lineups loaded from top to bottom.

The Diggers averaged 12 runs and the Eagles averaged 13 runs per game, so it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if Friday night’s matchup in the 4A state tournament ended up resembling a football score.

It did. At least for one of the teams.

Minus and extra point.

Sugar-Salem broke open a 1-1 game with five runs in the third and then added five more in the fourth on the way to a 13-2 victory at Melaleuca Field, earning the Diggers a berth in Saturday’s state championship game.

Sugar-Salem’s offense pounded out 12 hits, including six doubles, and went through three Eagle pitchers.

Meanwhile, Dawson McInelly did his part on the mound, giving up just four hits and two earned runs in a complete-game win. He was also 1 for 3 with two runs scored.

The complete-game came a day after Jackson Gardner tossed a complete game and got the win against Fruitland.

“Jack and Dawson have been playing together since they were 9-years-old,” Sugar-Salem coach Brady Gardner said. “They’ve been our No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers since they were 9.”

With the extended playoff format, Brady Gardner said the team prepared all season to be ready to use as many pitchers as needed.

That hasn’t been the case in the state tournament, where the top two pitchers did their job against two of the toughest opponents they’ve faced this season.

The defending state champion Diggers (21-4) are seeded No. 4 in the tournament, but defeated No. 1 and previously unbeaten Fruitland 7-3 on Thursday behind Gardner.

Marsh Valley, which had lost just one game all season, took down Cole Valley Christian 14-7 in Thursday’s opener, but the Eagles couldn’t get anything going against McInelly after scoring in the first inning on a two-out single by Kanyon Lish, who also added another RBI on a fielder’s choice in the third.

Those were the first earned runs given up by McInelly this season.

But that proved all the offense Marsh Valley (26-2) could muster against the Diggers.

The back end of the lineup did most of the damage on Friday, with third baseman Ben Aldrich knocking in three runs, along with Sam Chappell. Eight different players had hits.

Coach Gardner noted the team’s eight seniors have made this season special as the Diggers look for a second-straight title.

Sam Chappell is just a sophomore, but already had an impact in the postseason a year ago and has fit right in this season.

“I kind of keep calm and it’s great having the senior leadership around,” Chappell said. “All the seniors … they’ve been helping me and I’m very grateful for them.”

Top-seeded Fruitland defeated Cole Valley Christian 8-4 earlier in the day to eliminate the Chargers.

Fruitland will face Marsh Valley at 11 a.m. Saturday in the elimination game with the winner advancing to the state champion game against Sugar-Salem at 1:30 p.m.

An ‘If Necessary’ game would be at 4 p.m.