Badger Boys punch ticket to State Baseball Tournament Beat Weiser 9-8 in thriller

by Tom Turpin BFHS Head Baseball Coach The Badger baseball team had to get to the State Baseball Tournament the hard way after a 3-1 loss to the Timberlake Tigers last Tuesday in the District 1-2 3A District Championship game. After dispatching Kellogg 10-0 in six innings on Thursday, the Badger boys traveled to Grangeville, Idaho to take on the Weiser Wolverines from District 3 in a winner-to-state game. The Badgers beat the Wolverines in a thrilling 9-8 win. Bonners Ferry started the scoring off in the first inning after Jesse Dunham walked with one out. After a passed ball, Steve Anzalone then hit a RBI single to score Dunham and advanced on a throwing error from the left fielder. Caleb Gering then hit a RBI single to score Anzalone. With one out, Shay Garcia hit a shot to the right side but unfortunately hit Gering while he was advancing to second. With Garcia at second base, Vince Bennett hit a RBI single to score Garcia. The Wolverines added a run in the bottom of the first after their leadoff hitter walked and later scored on a single from Evan Loomis. Both teams went quietly in the second inning but in the top of the third inning the Badgers added two more runs on two hits. Dunham walked for the second time in the game and later scored on a RBI double from Anzalone. Garcia then hit a shot to the shortstop which caromed off the player and Anzalone was sent home rounding third. The shortstop was able to grab the ball and gun Anzalone at the plate for the second out. With Garcia advancing on the play to second base, Bennett hit another RBI single to score Garcia to make the score 5-1. But, the Wolverines staged a comeback in the bottom of the 3rd inning scoring five runs on seven hits capped by a towering three-run home run from their second baseman Brendan Kropp to make the score 6-5 in favor of Weiser. Bonners Ferry roared back in the top of the 4th inning, scoring three runs to take an 8-6 lead. In the inning, Kevin Gray hit a double to left to start the inning followed by a RBI double from Brady Bateman. Dunham then hit a RBI single to left to score Bateman. After back to back walks to load the bases, Dunham scored on a grounder from Garcia. Weiser added a run in the bottom of the 4th inning after Matt Pritchard singled and later scored on a grounder from Kropp to make the score 8-7 Badgers. The Badgers added an insurance run in the 5th inning after one out walks to Gray and Bateman. After Dunham struck out for second out, Anzalone walked to load the bases. Gering then received the RBI when he was walked to score Gray. With the score 9-7 in the bottom of the 7th inning, The Wolverines attempted to stage another comeback. With two outs in the inning, Dalton Turrentine and Ryan McDaniel singled followed by a walk to Logan Ronley to load the bases. The next batter, Loomis, then hit a dribbler to the third baseman and beat out the throw to first to score Turrentine. With the bases still loaded and the tying run just 90 feet away, the #3 hitter in the lineup scorched a first pitch liner to Dunham at third. Dunham caught the ball for the final out of the game. The Badgers won 9-8 and advanced to the State Tournament to play Marsh Valley at 9:00 a.m. (PST) on Thursday, May 14. There will be a webcast of the game through www.idahosports.com. Anzalone, Bennett and Gray each got 2 hits in the game while Anzalone, Gering, and Bennett each had 2 RBI. Bateman, Anzalone and Gray all had doubles in the win. Bennett came in relief for the win.