WRHS nine keeps
the ball rolling
Wolverines handle Kuna, Teton
at home
Playing without two starters, the
Wood River High School baseball team met the challenge and polished off
two tough visitors, Kuna and Teton, by scores of 3-0 and 14-4 Saturday
at Founders Field, Hailey.
Righty Steve Hansen (4-2) tossed a
two-hit masterpiece in the opening 3-0 non-conference win against 4A
Kuna (11-8). He whiffed six Kavemen and walked just one as the
seven-inning game finished in a breezy 85 minutes.
Steve Durkin, Wood River
shortstop, records an out. Express photo by Willy Cook
With center fielder Joe Paisley
(music camp) and designated hitter/pitcher Tyson Reynoso (college visit)
out of town, Wood River made the most of its five hits and scratched out
its second shutout of the season.
"It was a good baseball game, the
kind we hoped to have more often when we made up the schedule," said
Wood River coach Lars Hovey. "So many games we’ve played have been over
in the first or second innings. This one helped us keep our focus."
Leadoff batter Brady Femling drew
a walk in the third inning and scored on a one-out RBI single by Kellen
Kinghorn for the only run Hansen needed.
In the sixth, a one-out walk to
Kinghorn, single by Dylan McIlhenny and two-run double by Tyler Thiede
gave Hansen insurance and he finished his complete-game victory.
Ted Dankanyin and Dylan Fullmer
added Wood River’s other hits.
Hovey sent freshman Kenny Cardona
to the hill in Saturday’s nightcap against Wood River’s foe in the 2003
State 3A championship game, Teton of Driggs. Cardona (2-0) gave Hovey
just what was needed—four innings of clean, four-hit work. He threw 74
pitches, allowing one earned run.
"Kenny is moving up in the depth
chart," said Hovey. "He never seems to get hit hard. Against Teton he
did a great job of maintaining his focus, ignoring the distractions and
concentrating on only the next pitch."
At the plate, Wood River took
advantage of nine free passes and seven hits to run-rule the Redskins
14-4 in six innings. A six-run third inning gave the Wolverines an 8-2
cushion.
Wood River batted around in the
third. Femling (2 runs) opened with a single, Steve Durkin was plunked,
Hansen (2 hits, 2 RBI, 3 runs) ripped an RBI single to right and
McIlhenny (2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI) doubled. Ben Molyneux chipped in an
RBI single.
McIlhenny added a two-out, two-run
single in Wood River’s three-run fifth. Thiede, who led off with a
single, then scored the winning run in the sixth on a bases-loaded hit
batsman.
Preston tourney next
Wood River (14-3, 3-1 SCIC) hosted
Kimberly (0-14, 0-3) Tuesday at Founders Field, looking to nail down the
Hailey program’s ninth regular-season league title in 13 years and its
fourth straight SCIC title.
By winning both games Tuesday,
Wood River would have assured itself of a home date against #4-seeded
Kimberly when the four-team SCIC tourney opens Friday, May 7.
Wood River, which avenged an
early-season 6-2 loss with Saturday’s home win over Kuna, is looking to
settle a score with Filer (15-4, 3-2) in the SCIC tourney. Filer’s 7-2
win over visiting Wood River April 20 snapped Hailey’s 20-game SCIC
unbeaten streak in games that counted since 2001.
This coming weekend, Wood River’s
varsity closes its season slate at the eight-team Preston tournament.
The Wolverines are ranked first in the Idahosports.com poll of 3A
schools ahead of #2-ranked Filer.
Wood River plays Sugar-Salem
Friday, April 30 at 12:30 p.m. and comes right back against Mountain
Crests (Utah) at 2:45 p.m. On Saturday, May 1, the Wolverines meet
Madison of Rexburg at 11:45 a.m.
The championship and consolation
games are scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. The teams in the other side
of the tournament bracket are Preston, South Fremont of St. Anthony plus
Logan (Utah) and Skyview (Utah).
With three wins, 13th-year coach
Hovey (197-155-1) will reach the 200-win milestone in his Wood River
diamond stint.