Played in a cold wind, Tuesday's high school baseball twinbill between the Twin Falls Bruins and Wood River Wolverines at Bill Ingram Field in Twin Falls seemed to last forever—and that was only the first inning of the first game.
For Wood River fans, it was a long way to start a losing day.
Twin Falls sent 19 batters to the plate in a 14-run, 12-hit, 35-minute, 63-pitch first at-bats and went on to beat Wood River 19-4 in a run-rule shortened five frames. Indeed, the Wolverines couldn't get an out until 14 Bruins batters had come into the batter's box. Finally, second baseman Juan Martinez made a diving stab of a grounder.
The 5A Bruins (6-2-1) also won the nightcap 6-5, a game also reduced to five frames because of darkness. To show it couldn't win for losing Tuesday, Wood River actually went ahead 7-6 on Greg Wakefield's two-run homer in the top of the sixth, but the umpires called the game and the score reverted to the fifth-inning count.
Coach Matt Nelson's Wolverines (1-4) had been idle for 10 days for spring school vacation and it showed in the team's slow start Tuesday. Twin Falls (23 hits), in contrast, had traveled to Utah last week for four games during its spring vacation and definitely appeared sharper with its bats.
Twin Falls clean-up hitter Zeb Sneed (3 hits, 5 RBI) belted a long three-run homer up into the breeze to spark the monstrous first inning, then Sneed pitched the final two frames in relief of senior righty Michael Williams (3 innings, 0 hits, 2 BB, 3 K). Sneed spotted Wood River four runs in the fourth.
First baseball Bryan Bray got Wood River's first hit with a line single to right opening the fourth. Martinez followed with a single, pitcher Jake Freeman walked, Tyler Peters hit an RBI grounder, left fielder Alex Padilla walked, and shortstop Michale Brunker slapped a two-out, two-run single.
Those were Wood River's only hits. In the second game, however, the Wolverines struck for three runs in the third and two more in the fourth—starting pitcher Wakefield (0-2) having a good game with three hits and the top of the batting order producing. Peters added a double.
But Twin Falls pushed across a single run in the home fifth, which proved the winner when the umpires called it.
"Obviously we need to put on a better showing. We weren't prepared for some of the situational stuff, and that showed we missed being outside for practice. And not playing over spring break hurt," said Nelson. "But we have a talented team. We should get our confidence back as we start getting the job done."
Wood River was due to visit Filer Thursday and hosts Kimberly for its home opener Tuesday, March 31 at 4 p.m. at Founders Field in Hailey.
Wood River second baseman Juan Martinez makes a fine, diving stab of a ground ball for the first out during the 14-run Twin Falls first inning Tuesday. Photo by David N. Seelig
