| Pirates
win 1 of 3 at Orofino
The Prairie baseball team opened their season by winning 1 of 3 games at the Bo Cummings Invitational Tournament at Orofino Friday and Saturday, March 9-10. On Friday the Pirates lost to Potlatch 6-11. On Saturday they defeated Bonners Ferry 13-9 then lost to Orofino 1-4. In Friday’s game against Potlatch errors hurt the Pirates as 8 of the Loggers’ 11 runs were unearned. 
Prairie starting pitcher Nate Kaschmitter should have set down the Loggers in order in the first inning but an error put a runner on after 2 were out and that seemed to rattle him as he walked the next 3 batters to force in a run before getting a strikeout to end the inning. In the second inning he walked 2 more hitters but had 2 outs when a fly ball was dropped in centerfield to allow 2 more runs to score. Prairie got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second without benefit of a hit. Eric Daly walked to lead off the inning and went to second on a balk and to third on a wild pitch. After an out Kyle Daly walked. With a 1 ball, 2 strike count on David Sigler, Kyle broke for second, when the throw went to second, Eric scored from third as Prairie executed a delayed double steal. In the third Kaschmitter allowed his only hit, a leadoff double to the base of the wall in center. After a walk, Kaschmitter turned his ankle covering first on a grounder to the first baseman. Ronnie Chandler took over on the mound and the first hitter he faced reached on an error with a run scoring. A double brought in 2 more runs but Prairie got out of the inning when Sigler made a great relay throw to third to catch the runner trying to stretch his double to a triple. Potlatch added another un in the top of the fifth for a 1-7 lead. In the bottom of the inning Prairie finally got to Potlatch’s pitcher. Dan Riener opened the inning by reaching on an error. Chandler followed with a double to score Riener. Ben Schumacher singled to right and Conner Rieman singled up the middle to score Chandler. Eric Daly beat out an infield hit to load the bases. After an out, Kyle Daly pounded a double to left to score 3 runs and cut the lead to 6-7.  Potlatch
then changed pitchers and got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Prairie also changed pitchers so that Chandler would be able to pitch on Saturday, putting in Eric Daly for the final 2 innings. Daly gave up 2 runs each in the sixth and seventh with 3 of the 4 runs being unearned thanks to 3 more errors. Sigler, Chandler and Kyle Daly each had a double and single while Schumacher, Rieman and Eric Daly each had a single. Kaschmitter pitched 2 1/3 innings allowing 1 hit and 5 runs with 4 strikeouts and 6 walks. Chandler pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk. Eric Daly pitched 2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 4 hits with no walks and 2 strikeouts. On Saturday against Bonners Ferry, Prairie went scoreless over the first 4 innings but then strung 3 big innings in a row. Sigler started on the mound and pitched the first 5 innings. He got out of a 1-out jam in the first with a pair of strikeouts and had a relatively easy second inning. In the third the Badgers strung together 3 straight singles and added a fourth single as they scored 3 runs to take the lead. He got the side out in the fourth as the only baserunner was thrown out on the basepaths. In the fifth the Badgers put in a new pitcher and he lasted just 3 batters giving up 2 walks and a hit batsmen. Ben Forsmann walked to lead off the inning and went to second on a wild pitch. Andrew Gabica walked and David Sigler was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Forsmann wound up scoring on a wild pitch while Gabica and Sigler moved to second and third. The Badgers again changed pitchers and got two outs but Chandler hit a grounder that the second baseman couldn’t handle with 2 runs scoring on the error to tie the game at 3-3. 2 singles and an error in the fifth allowed the Badgers to retake the lead. 
In the top of the sixth Prairie came up with 4 runs on just 1 hit. Rieman walked to lead off the inning and stole second. Kyle Daly reached on an error and Gabica walked. Sigler reached on an error with Rieman and Kyle Daly scoring and Riener hit a 2-out double to bring home the other 2 runs to give Prairie a 7-4 lead. Eric Daly took over on the mound in the sixth and got out of a first and third with 1 out jam as the runner was put out at home on a fielder’s choice. Prairie put up a bunch of insurance runs in the seventh thanks to 3 walks and 4 hits. Rieman led off with a walk and Kyle Daly also walked. Forsmann doubled home both runs. Gabica followed with a walk then Forsmann was forced at third by Sigler. Eric Daly singled home Gabica, Sigler stole home and then Riener crushed a homer to right center to bring in 2 more runs and make it 13-4. In the bottom of the seventh Daly gave up a leadoff single but Riener threw out the runner trying to steal. A groundout to short made it 2 outs and it was looking good for the Pirates. Bonners Ferry then strung together 6 straight hits to score 5 runs before Daly got a strikeout to end the game. Riener had a homer and a double while Forsmann and Chandler had a double each and Schumacher Eric Daly each had a single. Sigler allowed 4 runs on 7 hits with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk. Daly allowed 5 runs on 8 hits with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk. Orofino had saved their ace pitcher, D.J. Wright, to face the Pirates and the Pirates mustered just 2 hits off him. David Sigler led off the game by beating out an infield hit and Dan Riener accounted for Prairie’s only run with a leadoff homer to left in the fourth. Riener started on the mound for the Pirates and pitched 4 innings allowing 2 runs on just 2 hits. Orofino’s first run came in the second when Riener hit the first 2 batters and a pair of wild pitches led to the run scoring. The other run came in the third after a leadoff error, stolen base and a single. Chandler took over in the fifth inning and gave up 2 more runs on just 3 hits. Both runs came in the sixth after 2 were out. He hit a batter and a single followed setting up first and third. A balk was called to score the first run and another single led to the second run. Riener had 8 strikeouts with 2 walks and 2 hit batsmen. Chandler had 3 strikeouts with 2 walks and 1 hit batsman. Wright struck out 14 Prairie hitters while walking 2 and hitting 1. Riener, on his homer, was the only Prairie batter to get past second base. The Pirates are 1-2 on the season. Vs. Potlatch Potlatch 1 2 3 0 1 2 2-11 8 3 Prairie 0 1 0 0 5 0 0- 6 9 8 Vs. Bonners Ferry Prairie 0 0 0 0 3 4 6-13 6 2 B.F. 0 0 3 0 1 0 5- 9 14 3 Vs. Orofino Prairie 0 0 0 1 0 0 0-1 2 1 Orofino 0 1 1 0 0 2 x-4 5 2 PHS BASEBALL March 20-Culdesac, there, 4 p.m. 22-Timberline, here 4 p.m. 5-Lewis County, there, 4:30 p.m. 7-Grangeville (V-JV), there, noon 10-Troy, here (2 games), 3 p.m. 12-Kendrick (V-JV), here, 3:30 p.m. 14-Council, there (2 games), noon MDT 17-Culdesac, here, 4:30 p.m. 20-Grangeville, here, 4 p.m. 23-C.V., here, 4:30 p.m. 24-Genesee, there, (2 games), 4 p.m. 26-Timberline, there, 4 p.m. 30-Lewis County, here, 4:30 p.m. 5-District 1st round, Gen. & Kendrick 11-12-District at Kendrick 18-19-State at Caldwell |
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