Fruitland bounces back with third place finish at Treasure Valley Invatitional
By Argus Observer sports staff
Sunday, March 23, 2008 3:21 AM PDT
Fruitland - Only 15 hours earlier in tournament action, the Fruitland baseball team was left searching for answers after suffering an 8-0 loss to Vale in semifnal round action of Treasure Valley Invitational Friday in Fruitland.
The Grizzlies rebounded in style with a 12-hit barrage in their 11-1 win over Burns Saturday in the third place game of the tournament.
Tommy Macfarlane hit a home run and Ty Flannery added a pair of doubles for the Grizzlies, who scored seven runs in the second inning to erase a 1-0 deficit. Fruitland added two runs in the third inning and put the mercy rule into effect with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
All the offense was plenty for Flannery, who tossed four innings and struck out five in the game.
Macfarlane and Flannery drove in three runs apiece and Nick Varriale added two RBIs for Fruitland.
“I thought we played better,” Fruitland head coach Russ Wright said. “We swung the bats a little better. Before the game we worked on some approach stuff and we took kids out and showed them what we should be doing compared to what we did the night before. We happened to get some timely hits sandwiched around a couple of walks.”
Fruitland (7-1 overall) next takes on Middleton at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in first round action of the Bucks Bags Tournament.
Weiser 19
American Falls 2
Ontario
The bats woke up just in time for the Weiser Wolverine baseball team.
Weiser notched 12 hits, were issued 11 walks and had two batters plunked in its 19-2 drubbing of American Falls in consolation action of the Treasure Valley Invitational Saturday in Ontario.
Chris Alder drove in four runs, Brandon Eversole added three RBIs for Weiser, who scored 10 runs in the top of the second inning.
In the second inning, Weiser sent 15 batters to the plate and strung together five hits. Two runs also scored on a bases loaded hit batsmen.
Weiser was not done scoring and they tacked on seven runs in the fourth and finished off the Beavers with two more in the fifth.
Weiser starting pitcher Blake Sappe was the beneficiary of the offensive output. The sophomore tossed five innings and allowed five hits for first varsity win of his career.
Burns 8
Weiser 1
Ontario
The Weiser Wolverines didn’t start tournament action on the right foot as they were shut down by Tommy Ghost Dog and the Burns Hilanders 8-1 Friday in Ontario.
Ghost dog tossed a complete game, two-hitter and struck out nine batters on his way to the win.
Gavin Eisenbarth and Quentin Erhard had the only hits for Weiser and Josh Messick added an RBI. Eisenbarth picked up the loss as the junior went seven innings, struck out four and walked five. His defense committed four errors behind him and Burns also pounded out 10 hits.
Bear Lake 11
Weiser 1
Ontario
Bear Lake rebounded from an opening round loss to Ontario with an 11-1 drubbing of Weiser Friday in Ontario.
Morris Bunn cracked a home run and drove in four runs to lead the Bears, who tallied eight hits.
Weiser could only muster two hits against Bear Lake pitcher Nate Crane. Gavin Eisenbarth had a double and Chris Alder added an RBI hit for the Wolverines. Blaine Swain pitched the last five frames, struck out four and walked four to pick up the loss.
