The Prairie baseball team went into District as the #1 seed but had to win the third place game to earn a trip to State. On Thursday, May 13 they lost to #6 seed Kamiah 3-9 but came back Friday, May 14 and held off #2 seed Kendrick 8-5 to earn a trip to State. The District games were both played at Orofino.
State will also be at Orofino with the Pirates set to play Glenns Ferry at 9 a.m. Friday, May 21. If they win they would play Genesee at 2:30 p.m. Friday. With a loss they would play for 5^th and 6^th at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 22. (See bracket on page 3)
Through 5 innings it looked like Prairie would punch their ticket to state in their District opener against Kamiah.
Kamiah scored first on a leadoff double on the first pitch of the game and a 2 out bloop single.
Prairie tied it in the bottom of the first as Reece Shears had a leadoff single. He sole second and went to third when the catcher’s throw went into centerfield. Dalton Ross beat out an infield hit as Shears scored. Ross stole second and advanced to third when Chase Kaschmitter singled up the middle. Kaschmitter stole second and then after an out, Colton McElroy was hit by a pitch to load the bases. However that’s how the inning ended as the next two hitters were put out on an infield pop-up and a strikeout.
Kamiah didn’t score in the second and Prairie took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Brody Hasselstrom led off with a single to left but was forced at second by Lane Remacle. A double to left by Shears put runners on second and third. Ross scored Remacle with a sacrifice fly to left for a 2-1 lead.
Neither team scored in the third although Prairie managed to load the bases on an error, single by Connor Schwartz and a walk by Hasselstrom but all 3 were stranded as Prairie left 7 runners on base through the first 3 innings.
Kamiah went down in order in the fourth inning and Prairie added a run in the bottom of the inning. Ross hit a 1 out double down the left field line and 2 batters later Dean Johnson doubled to the gap in left center to score Ross and make it 3-1.
Kamiah went down in order again in the fifth inning.
Prairie got a 1-out single from Travis Alfrey in the fifth and he went to second on a wild pitch but finished the inning there.
In the sixth Chase Kaschmitter walked Kamiah’s lead off hit then got two outs on a strikeout and fly out to left. Another walk and an infield single loaded the bases but it appeared they would get out of the inning on a ground ball to second but indecision on where to go with the ball led to an error and a run scoring. A 2-run single followed and all of a sudden Kamiah was ahead 3-4.
Prairie went down in order in the bottom of the sixth.
In the seventh Kaschmitter gave up a leadoff single and was lifted in favor of Alfrey. The leadoff hitter was caught stealing but the next 5 hitters all reached base on 4 singles and a walk. After a second out Kamiah got a bases clearing double as they added 5 runs to their lead to make it 3-9.
In the bottom of the inning Prairie tried to rally as McElroy reached on a 1-out single and Schwartz reached on catcher’s interference. Alfrey hit the ball hard but it went right to the third baseman who need to make a couple of steps to the bag to force McElroy. A strikeout then ended the game.
Prairie had 10 hits in the game led by Ross and Shears who each had a double and a single. Ross also had 2 RBI. Johnson had a double and an RBI. Kaschmitter, McElroy, Schwartz, Alfrey and Hasselstrom each had a single.
Kaschmitter pitch 6+ innings allowing 4 runs on 6 hits with 6 strikeouts, 3 walks and 1 hit batsman. Alfrey pitch 1 inning allowing 5 runs on 5 hits with 1 strikeout and 1 walk.
Kamiah 1 0 0 0 0 3 5—9 11 2
Prairie   1 1 0 1 0 0 0—3 10 2
It says how balanced the league was this year that the #1 and #2 seeds into district wound up playing in the third place game while the #5 and #6 were playing for the championship.
Prairie used big innings in the second and fourth to punch their ticket to state.
Kendrick scored first as they got a leadoff single against Schwartz, who started on the mound for the Pirates. A stolen base and error by the catcher trying to throw him out put the runner on third. After 2 strikeouts, another error allowed the runner to score.
Prairie went down in order in the bottom of the first.
In the second Schwartz got 2 quick outs then gave up 2 singles before getting out of the inning on a groundout to second.
Prairie took the lead in the bottom of the second. Johnson walked to lead off the inning. McElroy followed with an infield single. Schwartz then doubled to left to score Johnson. After an out, Hasselstrom reached on an error with McElroy scoring the go-ahead run. Remacle then singled to score Schwartz and make it 3-1.
Kendrick got one of those runs back in the third on a leadoff walk, single and sacrifice fly.
Kendrick changed pitchers for the third inning and Prairie got 2 singles but was unable to score.
Schwartz got the side out in order in the fourth.
In the bottom of the fourth Prairie put together a 4-run rally. Hasselstrom led off with an infield single to third, just beating the throw. He went to second on a passed ball, to third on a wild pitch and scored on an errant pickoff throw by the catcher. Meanwhile Remacle walked and had moved up on the error. Remacle scored on a single to short left field by Shears who went to second on the throw to home. After an out, Kaschmitter tripled to the gap in right center to score Shears. Johnson followed with a double to left to score Kaschmitter and make it 7-2.
Schwartz got into trouble in the fifth as he gave up a double and 2 singles after getting an out. McElroy came on to pitch and gave up a run scoring groundout then got out of the inning with a pop fly to second as Kendrick cut the lead to 7-4.
Prairie added on in the bottom of the fifth with a 2 out rally. Shears walked with 2 outs and stole second. He went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield single by Ross to make it 8-4.
McElroy gave up a walk and a single to start the sixth inning then was relieved by Alfrey. An error let a run score. A bunt attempt followed but Alfrey was able to field the ball and get the out at home. He got out of the inning with no further damage.
Prairie started the bottom of the sixth with a single each by Johnson and Schwartz but a forceout and then a double play killed that rally.
In the top of the seventh Alfrey got a comebacker and a pop-up to get 2 outs on just 3 pitches. After an error he got the final out on a pop-up to Schwartz at shortstop to send the Pirates to State.
Schwartz pitched 4 1/3 innings allowing 4 runs on 7 hits with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. McElroy pitch 2/3 innings allowing 1 run on 1 hit with 1 walk. Alfrey pitched 2 innings allowing no runs on no hits with 1 walk.
The Pirates pounded out 12 hits led by Johnson who had a double and 2 singles and an RBI. Schwartz had a double and a single and an RBI. McElroy had 2 singles. Kaschmitter had a triple and an RBI. Shears, Ross, Hasselstrom and Remacle each had a single and an RBI.
Prairie takes a 12-5 record in to the State Tournament.
Kendrick 1 0 1 0 2 1 0—5   8 3
Prairie      0 3 0 4 1 0 x—8 12 4