| Pirates
win two league games
With road wins at Nezperce and Troy the Prairie baseball team improved to 8-0 in White Pine League play. On Tuesday, April 26 they won at Nezperce 19-0 in five innings and on Thursday, April 28 they won at Troy by a 3-1 score. Bruner mixed in a knuckleball with his fastball and it appeared he had better command of the knuckler. Meanwhile the Pirates pounded out 11 hits on offense, took advantage of 3 errors and several free passes to pile up their 19 runs. They scored at least 2 runs in each inning. Bruner also led the way on offense with 3 doubles while Devin Bruegeman had 2 doubles and a single. Brandon Anderson had a triple and a single, Spencer Schumacher had a double and Jace Perrin and Daniel Mager each had a single. Prairie 4 5 3 2 5—19 11 2 Nezperce 0 0 0 0 0— 0 2 3 Prairie started strong as Bruegeman led off with a single but was then thrown out at second. 
Bruner followed with a shot up the middle that went off the pitcher’s glove into the outfield. The centerfielder bobbled the ball allowing Bruner to reach second. Bruner went to third on a passed ball and scored on Brandon Anderson’s groundout to short. Unfortunately for the Pirates, they wouldn’t score again until the 6th inning. Mager meanwhile allowed a leadoff base hit but then got a nifty double play by Bruegeman who took a ground ball at short, beat the runner to the bag at second and threw to first to compete the twin-killing. A fly ball to second ended the inning. Troy tied it in the bottom of the second when the leadoff hitter reached on an error. A single moved the runner to third. The Troy runner on first then tried to steal second, figuring Prairie wouldn’t throw through with a runner on third. Anderson nailed the runner at second while the runner on third never left the bag. A groundout to third by the next batter scored the run to tie the game. After a walk to the next batter, Mager set down 8 straight batters before allowing a walk in the fifth. The next batter reached on an error putting the runners at second and third with only 1 out. Mager got out of the jam with a strikeout and a comebacker to the mound. In the sixth Anderson led off with a single up the middle and wound up at third when the centerfielder let the ball play him and go nearly to the fence. Calvin Hinkelman then scored Anderson from third with a sacrifice fly to deep right field. Prairie added an insurance run in the top of the 7th when Perrin led off with a single up the middle. He then wound up going all the way to third when the catcher tried to pick him off first and the throw went into right field. After a couple of outs Bruegeman grounded to short for what appeared to be the inning ending out but the shortstop bobbled the ball allowing Bruegeman to reach and Perrin to score. Meanwhile Mager set the Trojans down in order in the final two innings. Mager wound up allowing just 2 hits and 1 unearned run while striking out 6 and walking 2. Both walks were allowed to the same batter who had the habit of chewing on his shirt collar as he stood at the plate. That seemed to unnerve Mager who walked him twice on just 8 pitches. The same hitter wound up being the final out of the game as Mager went 2-0 on him prompting pitching coach David Shears to visit the mound. After Shears told him to forget about the shirt thing and just pitch to him, Mager threw 3 straight strikes to end the game. The Pirates had 7 hits in the game, all singles. Bruegeman had 2 singles while Bruner, Anderson, Hinkelman, Perrin and Schumacher each had a single. Prairie is now 10-4 on the season and 8-0 in league play. Prairie 1 0 0 0 0 1 1—3 7 2 Troy 0 1 0 0 0 0 0—1 2 4
2016 Prairie Baseball MARCH 17-at Kamiah, 4 p.m.*, won 3-2 22-at C.V., 4 p.m.*, postponed due to wet field 24-at Colton, 4 p.m., cancelled due to weather 8-9-Glenns Ferry Tournament, TBA, lost to Malad 3-5; beat Soda Springs 7-6; lost to Nampa Christian 4-16 15-Kamiah, there, 4 p.m.*, rescheduled from 4/12, won 7-0 16-Potlatch, here (2), noon*, won 18-8 and 14-1 19-at Grangeville, V/JV, 4 p.m., lost 5-15 21-C.V., there, 4 p.m.*, 2 games, won 11-0, won 11-1 26-at Nezperce, 4 p.m.*, won 19-0 28-at Troy, 4 p.m.*, won 3-1 5-Troy, here, 4 p.m. 9-Nezperce, here, 4 p.m. 13-14-District at Orofino 20-21-State at Caldwell |
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