A backdoor guest is always best
Wood River hopes opportunity
knocks in playoff game
Forget what the Jackson 5 said,
sometimes ABC not as easy as 1-2-3.
Needing four outs to force an
"if-necessary" contest against Filer in the SCIC baseball tournament,
Wood River surrendered six unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth and
wound up losing 9-7 in Filer Tuesday.
It was the first-ever district
championship for the Wildcats (21-4) and with the title comes an
automatic berth in the 3A State tournament in Ontario, Oregon next week.
Filer coach Kent Knigge remarked,
"For us to be able to play at this level is really exciting. We have a
ton of respect for Lars (Hovey) and Wood River. It was a good game."
To get back to state, the
defending 3A champion Wolverines (22-5) have to win a play-in game
against District 6 runner-up Shelley in Pocatello Saturday. First pitch
is slated for 11 a.m.
Hovey thinks winning the play-in
is very doable.
"I like our chances," he remarked.
Somebody has got to go through the
back door, but it did not look like it would be Wood River early in the
game against Filer.
In Hovey’s words Wood River was
"cruising" in the game’s opening innings.
"Tyson (Reynoso) was pitching
really well and we gave him some run support," Hovey said.
The Wolverines busted loose for
three runs in the second frame to take a 3-1 lead.
Billy Kramer and Dylan Fullmer
roped back-to-back hits and Brady Femling scored them both with a sweet
single. Femling crossed the plate on an RBI double by Steve Durkin.
Hailey pushed its advantage to 5-2
in the fifth with a leadoff single by Femling. Durkin was hit by a pitch
for men on first and second and Kellen Kinghorn walked to load them up.
A sac fly by Tyler Theide scored Femling and then Kramer cleared the
bases with a single.
The Wolverines tacked on one more
run in the top of the sixth with Durkin knocking in Femling. Kramer,
Femling and Durkin all finished with two hits each.
In home sixth, Reynoso fanned the
first two Filer batters and enticed a grounder from the third, which was
muffed to keep Filer alive.
The Wildcats roped five hits in
the frame, including three doubles.
Filer coach Kent Knigge remarked,
"I thought Reynoso was getting tired. He was leaving the ball up.
Usually he is down around the knees which is really tough."
Hovey disagreed. "That should have
been Tyson’s quickest inning. He struck out the first two guys and got a
grounder on the third. He should have been in the dugout sipping
Gatorade at that point," he said.
Hovey estimates that Reynoso (6K)
had thrown 72-75 pitches by that point, which he said is not unusual or
excessive.
After a double by Paul Gerrish,
the score was 7-4 and Filer had men on second and third. With a base
open, Hovey intentionally walked David Ryan, who had hit a solo homerun
in the fifth.
Dustin DeMello, who was 0-3 up to
that point came to the plate and dropped in a double in right center to
clear the bases and make it 7-7.
"That ball should have been
caught," Hovey said. "Tyson should have been out of that inning
unscathed."
With two on, Dan Ramseyer roped
another double to make it 9-7. The Wolverines finally nabbed the third
out to take their turn at the plate and they made the most of it, but
the Filer fielders were equal to the task.
"They made a pair of great plays
on our first two batters," Hovey said.
A slow roller to third by Kinghorn
was grabbed for a 5-3 out and sharp hit deep in the hole was gloved by
shortstop DeMello for a 6-3 putout. But Wood River was poised for a
two-out rally of its own.
Tyler Theide walked and then
Kramer was plunked for two on. But hopes died along with a fielder’s
choice in the third baseman’s glove.
"I am glad we didn’t lose. I don’t
think I could have handled another game," Knigge said.
Despite the sting of the district
loss, Hovey has his eye on the big picture.
"We have ten teams going for state
right now and I think we have as good a chance as anyone to be in the
championship game on Saturday."