| Pirates
finish third at District
The Prairie baseball team played 4 tense nailbiters at District. They started with a walk-off win over Kamiah Tuesday, May 5 at Cottonwood in a playin game, winning 6-5, but 2 1-run losses to Potlatch bracketed a win over Troy as the Pirates were unable to defend their state championship. They lost to Potlatch on Thursday, May 7, 4-5 on a run in the bottom of the seventh. Friday, May 8 they had a 7 run rally in the bottom of the sixth that erased a 0-2 deficit and eliminated Troy 7-2. They then met up with Potlatch again who was coming off a 1-hit shutout loss to Genesee that was within an out of being a perfect game. Potlatch held on for an 8-9 win that eliminated the Pirates and sent the Loggers to state. 
And survive they did as freshman Jace Perrin hit a walk-off 2-run single in the bottom of the seventh to give Prairie a 6-5 win. That was the only time they led in the game. Neither side scored in the first two innings as Prairie’s Devin Bruegeman locked up with Kamiah’s Branson Ballantyne in a pitcher’s duel. Bruegeman ran into trouble in the third when he gave up a single, walk and another single to start the inning as Kamiah scored the game’s first run. After an out a fielder’s choice resulted in another run as Prairie shortstop Brandon Anderson tried to hold the runner at third on a grounder and then couldn’t get the batter at first. 2 more singles resulted in 2 more runs as Kamiah took a 0-4 lead. Prairie finally got to Ballantyne in the fourth inning when Calvin Hinkelman led off with a deep drive to center for a double that would have been a homer to any other part of the ballpark. Perrin walked and John Mager sacrificed the runners up a base each. Nick Mager then grounded to third and the Kamiah third baseman through the ball wide of first allowing 2 runs to score. After his rocky inning, Bruegeman put up zeroes in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Prairie got within a run in the fifth when Bruegeman led off with a drive to deep right center that bounced through the space around the gate out there for a ground rule double. Terran Peery beat out and infield hit and Anderson singled to left to score Bruegeman to cut the lead to 3-4. Hinkelman was intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out. Ballantyne then bowed his back and struck out the next three batters to keep the Kubs in the lead. Prairie tied it in the sixth when Jake Bruner triple to the gap in left center with the ball 1-hopping the fence. He scored the tying run when Bruegeman grounded out to short. In the seventh Bruegeman struck out the first 2 hitters then ran into trouble. A double to the gap in left got things started and a passed ball allowed the runner to move to third. The next batter walked and then came an RBI single up the middle. Bruner got to the ball quickly which allowed only 1 run to score. Bruegeman then got out of the inning with a flyball out to left. You had to like Prairie’s chances in the bottom of the seventh with the 3-4-5 hitters coming up. Anderson led off by beating out an infield single and stole second. Hinkelman hit a looper to right center with Anderson having to hold at third. Hinkelman then stole second setting up Perrin’s heroics. Perrin hit the ball past the first baseman into right field with Anderson scoring easily to tie the game. Hinkelman was also able to score the winning run as Kamiah inexplicably did not throw the ball toward home. Prairie had 9 hits in the game with Bruner having a triple and a single. Hinkelman had a double and a single. Anderson had 2 singles and an RBI. Bruegeman had a double and an RBI. Perrin had a single and 2 RBI. Peery had a single and Nick Mager had an RBI. Bruegeman allowed 5 runs on 7 hits with 4 walks, 1 hit batsman and 8 strikeouts. 6 of the strikeouts were called third strikes. Kamiah 0 0 4 0 0 0 1—5 7 2 Prairie 0 0 0 2 1 1 2—6 9 2  In
their district opener Prairie’s Daniel Mager and Potlatch’s Kenny Sheffler
had a pitcher’s duel.
Potlatch struck first with a pair of runs on 2 hits and a walk in the bottom of the second. Prairie came back to take a 3-2 lead in the third. Daniel Mager led off the inning with Prairie’s first hit of the game, a single to left. Jake Bruner then grounded to short for what appeared to be a forceout but the second baseman dropped the ball for an error. Bruegeman then hit a grounder to short that was misplay for an error to load the bases. Peery reached on another Potlatch error with Mager scoring. Brandon Anderson singled home Bruner and Hinkelman followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Bruegeman. Potlatch came back to tie it in the bottom of the third on 2 singles and a wild pitch. Potlatch took the lead in the fourth on a hit batsman, 2 stolen bases and a throwing error trying to catch him stealing at third. Prairie was able to tie it in the sixth on a couple more errors. Jace Perrin reached on an error and John Mager followed with a single. Daniel Mager attempted a sacrifice bunt but an error by the third baseman led to a bases loaded situation. Bruner forced Daniel Mager at second but Perrin scored to tie the game at 4-4. Daniel Mager pitched into and out of trouble in the bottom of the sixth. Prairie went out in order in the top of the seventh and Prairie coach Kyle Westhoff brought in Bruegeman to pitch as Mager was over 100 pitches. A leadoff walk was followed buy a strikeout. A grounder to short got the second out. A hit batsman put runners on first and second. Potlatch then went for a delayed double steal hoping to get what wound up happening. Catcher Anderson threw to Peery at third trying to get the lead runner. When that failed the runner on first headed for second hoping to draw a throw and Peery wound up throwing to first. The runner on third broke for home and scored before Prairie could get the final out. In hindsight Peery should have looked the runner back to third and thrown the ball back to the pitcher as Bruegeman had 2 strikes on the hitter at the plate. Prairie had 6 hits in the game with Daniel Mager collecting a single and a double. Bruegeman, Peery, Anderson and John Mager each had a single. Daniel Mager allowed just 4 hits in 6 innings with 6 walks, one intentional, a hit batsman and 7 strikeouts. Bruegeman allowed no hits with a walk, hit batsman and a strikeout. Prairie 0 0 3 0 0 1 0—4 6 2 Potlatch 0 2 1 1 0 0 1—5 4 5 Troy got to Bruegeman for 2 hits and a run in the first inning and added another run in the third on a single and a double for a 0-2 lead. Prairie meanwhile was limited to just 2 hits through the first 5 innings. Then things came unraveled for Troy’s pitcher. Bruegeman led off the bottom of the sixth by drawing Prairie’s first walk of the game. Peery followed with a single. Anderson beat out an infield singled to load the bases. An error allowed Bruegeman to score Prairie’s first run and a balk scored Peery from third with the tying run. Hinkelman hit a grounder to the third baseman that was thrown away for an error allowing Anderson to score the go-ahead run and Hinkelman made it to second. An errant pickoff throw allowed Hinkelman to score. After an out, Daniel Mager was intentionally walked. John Mager hit a grounder that should have been an out but both Mager boys wound up safe. Dereck Arnzen singled to right to load the bases. Troy changed pitchers and Bruner greeted him with a single to left that scored both Magers. After a second out, Peery singled home Arnzen to make it 7-2. Bruegeman was out of innings after pitching an inning on Thursday so Anderson came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh. He hit the first batter but then got a forceout. After a strikeout, an infield single and a walk, Troy had the bases loaded. The game ended as Peery fielded a grounder at third and beat the runner from second to the bag for a forceout. Prairie had 8 hits in the game led by Peery and Anderson who each had a pair of singles. Bruegeman had a double while John Mager, Arnzen and Bruner each had a single. Bruegeman allowed 7 hits and 2 runs with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts in 6 innings. Anderson allowed 1 hit with 1 walk, 1 hit batsman and 1 strikeout in 1 scoreless inning. Troy 1 0 1 0 0 0 0—2 8 4 Prairie 0 0 0 0 0 7 x—7 9 1 
Prairie got off to a good start with 4 runs in the top of the first despite only 1 hit. Bruegeman and Peery both walked to open the game but Bruegeman was forced at third by Anderson. Perrin singled up the middle to score Peery and Daniel Mager walked to load the bases. John Mager swung at strike 3 in the dirt and made it to first as the ball got past the catcher with Anderson scoring. Arnzen and Bruner each walked to force in 2 more runs. Anderson pitched for Prairie and gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st on a walk and 2 hits. Peery walked to lead off the second inning and then Potlatch changed pitchers. Anderson greeted the new pitcher with a double but Peery was put out in a rundown. Anderson then scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2. Potlatch added 2 in the second on 3 hits and 2 more in the third on a walk and 2 hits to take a 5-6 lead. Potlatch’s new pitcher shut down the Pirates until the top of the seventh inning. Anderson got through the fourth and fifth innings but 2 singles and a walk loaded the bases in the sixth. Bruner was brought in to pitch and walked in a run then gave up a 2-run single for a 5-9 Potlatch lead. Prairie tried to rally in the top of the seventh as they finally got to the Potlatch pitcher with 2 walks and a single to load the bases. Arnzen then hit a 2-run single to left. Bruner forced Arnzen at second but the third run scored to cut the lead to 8-9. Bruegeman walked and he and Bruner pulled off a double steal. Potlatch changed pitchers again and the new pitcher got the next two hitters out to end the game. Prairie had 6 hits in the game with Perrin having 2 singles and an RBI. Anderson had a double. Arnzen had a single and 3 RBI. Hinkelman and John Mager each had a single and Bruner had 2 RBI. Anderson gave up 9 runs on 9 hits with 5 walks and 1 strikeout in 6 1/3 innings. Bruner pitched 2/3 of an inning and gave up 1 hit and 1 walk. Prairie ends their season with an 11-13 record. Prairie 4 1 0 0 0 0 3—8 6 1 Potlatch 2 2 2 0 0 3 x—9 10 0
Prairie Baseball Schedule for 2015 March 19-at C.V., V & JV, 4:30 p.m., won 10-4 21-at Kamiah, V & JV, 11 a.m., postponed due to weather 23-at Kendrick, V & JV, 4 p.m., postponed due to weather 26-vs. Highland, Clearwater Park, 4:30 p.m., won 12-1 10-11-at Glenn’s Ferry Tournament, lost to Malad 5-8; lost to Wendell 5-6; Lost to Glenns Ferry 4-13 13-Troy, here, 4 p.m., lost 6-11 16-Kamiah, here, 2:30 p.m. (2V) postponed from 4/14 due to weather, won 10-0 and 32-30 16-Kendrick, here, 2V, 4 p.m., cancelled to get Kamiah league games in, may not be made up 17-at Nezperce, 4:30 p.m., won 34-4 18-at Potlatch, 2-V, 11 a.m., lost 3-13, won 2-1 20-Genesee, here, 4:30 p.m., lost 4-24 21-Asotin, here, V & JV, 4 p.m., lost 16-30 23-Highland, here, 4:30 p.m., won 15-5 24-McCall-Donnelly, here, V & JV, 4 p.m., lost 11-15 27-at Troy, 4 p.m., won 13-3 28-Nezperce, here, 4:30 p.m., won 29-7 30-at Genesee, 4:30 p.m., lost 3-13 5-Playin game vs. Kamiah at Cottonwood - won 6-5 8-9-District at Orofino - lost to Potlatch 4-5, beat Troy 7-2, lost to Potlatch 8-9, third at district. |
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