It's a big accomplishment for an Idaho prep baseball team to win 20 games during a season that is restricted by the Idaho High School Activities Association to 24 regular-season games, plus tournaments.
Now, multiply that by six.
With two Great Basin Conference West tournament home wins over Jerome last week at Founders, Wood River High School's baseball program coached by Lars Hovey and Larry Lloyd has won 20-plus games for six straight seasons.
Wood River (20-7) beat #3-seeded Jerome 9-0 Thursday on a 62-pitch one-hitter by ace righthander Steve Hansen (6-3), who tied Ryne Reynoso for first place on the all-time Wolverine career wins list.
Friday, the #2-seeded Wolverines dropped an 8-3 decision at Rupert to the top-seeded Minico Spartans (19-7) in the semi-final game of the Great Basin West tourney.
Then Wood River ousted Jerome (9-17) by a 5-2 score Saturday to complete its Founders Field season with an undefeated 10-0 mark.
Against Jerome in the tourney opener Thursday, Tyson Reynoso (3 hits, 4 RBI) gave Hailey an early 3-0 lead with a two-run single in the third. Reynoso and Tyler Thiede (double) added RBI hits in the fourth, and Morgan Uhrig (3 hits, 3 runs) had an RBI single in the fifth.
Shortstop Brady Femling (2 hits) also contributed to the 11-hit attack. On the mound Hansen struck out five Tigers and issued one free pass—and the Wolverine defense didn't commit an error behind him.
Friday's game at Minico didn't start well because the Spartans built a 5-1 lead after two frames—and Wood River lost starting senior catcher Billy Kramer, who dislocated his shoulder diving into first base in the first inning at Warburton Field.
Thiede (99 pitches, 9 hits, 5 BB, 2 HBP) steadied himself and gave Hovey six innings of work with junior catcher Derek Abbott stepping in for Kramer in the battery. But Wood River managed only four hits, two by Reynoso including a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
As expected, Saturday's loser-out game at Founders Field was closely contested.
Jerome had eliminated #4-seeded Burley (4-16) by a 7-2 score Friday and was looking for the upset. Reynoso and Jerome righthander Ben Edwards both threw well.
In the home first Femling rapped a one-out single, Reynoso singled, Thiede walked and Jerome made an infield error to hand Wood River an early 2-0 lead. Edwards then retired 12 consecutive Wolverine batters and Jerome tied it 2-2 with two unearned runs in the visitor fourth.
Center fielder and #9 hitter Jonathan Dittmer (2 hits) broke the spell with a line drive single in the fifth. Uhrig laid down a sacrifice bunt and Femling's hard grounder went for an infield error. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, Reynoso pounded a bouncer to second and was safe at first when the throw pulled the first baseman's foot off the bag.
Dittmer scored for a 3-2 lead.
In the sixth, Hansen relieved Reynoso (6-1), who had thrown 56 pitches and allowed six hits. With a runner on first, Hansen caught a sacrifice bunt attempt in the air and threw to first for a double play. Then, Hansen led off the home sixth by drilling an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence to give himself a 4-2 lead.
Wood River (7 hits) added an insurance run for a 5-2 lead when Abbott walked, Dylan Fullmer singled and pinch runner Ben Molyneux scored on a Jerome wild pitch. Hansen then retired Jerome 1-2-3 in the seventh, thanks to a nice diving stop and throw by third sacker Reynoso.
The Wolverines finished a four-game season sweep over 2003 State 4A champ Jerome, outscoring the Tigers 28-3.
WOLVERINE NOTES—Wood River was 21-7 in 2000, 21-8 in 2001, 23-7 in 2002, 25-4-1 in 2003 and 24-7 in 2004, and is 20-7 this year, its first at the tougher 4A level of competition. The six-year mark is 134-40-1 for a .766 winning percentage.......Fourteenth-year coach Hovey now has a 227-166-1 record (.576). If Wood River plays three playoff games this week and goes for three games at the State 4A tournament, the potential third game at state will be Hovey's 400th as Wolverine baseball coach....Wood River is now 37-2 (.949) at home since 2002 (13-0 in 2002, 6-1 in 2003, 8-1 in 2004 and 10-0 this year)....With his win over Jerome Thursday, ace pitcher Steve Hansen (23-6 career) tied Boston College sophomore baseball player Ryne Reynoso (23-5) as the all-time Hailey pitching leader.
Wood River ace righthander Steve Hansen tied Ryne Reynoso for the career wins lead with his 9-0 victory over Jerome Thursday at Founders Field. Photo by David N. Seelig
