Prep recap: Timberline breaks district title drought with a new brand of baseball
These aren’t the same old Wolves.
The Timberline High baseball team scratched out a 3-1 win at Rocky Mountain to finish a sweep of the 5A District Three Championship series. But perhaps most impressive was the way the Wolves did it.
Timberline (21-3) manufactured three timely runs, scoring on a wild pitch, a fielder’s choice and then a stolen base that forced an errant throw to spoil the perfect record of one of the state’s top pitchers, Rocky Mountain’s Jacob Hughes.
Meanwhile, the Wolves held the 5A classification’s top-scoring offense to just one run on five hits.
That’s a marked departure from the Timberline of recent years, which often needed to slug its way to victories. But the Wolves showed a new side Wednesday, one that could make them even more dangerous at next week’s 5A state tournament at the College of Idaho’s Wolfe Field in Caldwell.
“It just shows the type of team these guys are, because they can do it both ways,” Timberline coach Casey Coberly said. “I think they’ve proven that this year.”
Timberline heads into next week’s state tournament allowing the fewest runs in the 5A classification (2.7 per game). And the Wolves can still swing a big stick when necessary, evidenced by their 14-5 win over Rocky Mountain (21-5) on Tuesday in Game 1 of the championship series.
Timberline (9.0) narrowly trails Rocky Mountain (9.04) for the state lead in runs scored per game.
“We just get the job done, no matter what,” Timberline junior Kailer Saunders said. “We may not be hitting one game, but we’re going to find a way to squeeze a few (runs) like tonight.”
Saunders and Garrett Miller combined to keep Rocky Mountain’s potent lineup in check. Miller often found himself in trouble early, but his defense bailed him out by picking off three base runners in the first three innings. Then a key double play allowed Saunders to escape a jam in the sixth inning.
That defense has served as the foundation of Timberline’s run, which also includes a 5A SIC regular-season title. Oregon State-bound pitcher Logan Miller has pitched only eight innings this season as he battles a stiff back. But even with their junior ace limited to playing the field, Timberline’s pitching staff keeps putting zeroes on the scoreboard.
“It’s a credit to how much work they’ve put in,” Coberly said. “We’ve got two returning starters in the infield. Those guys are obviously our captains. But the rest of them, they’ve just stepped up and put in the work every single game.”
But one thing that hasn’t changed at Timberline are the expectations. Wednesday marked the program’s first district title since 2013. But the seven-time state champs didn’t storm the field or dog pile on top of any teammates.
They are saving that for next week’s state tournament, which they open at 1 p.m. May 20 against a to-be-determined opponent.
“We’re excited,” Miller said. “But at the end of the day, we know that there’s still work to do and we’ve still got to be focused. Because the end goal is much bigger than this.”
Rocky Mountain also advances to the state tournament. The Grizzlies open against North Idaho champ Coeur d’Alene (14-7) at 4 p.m. May 20.
WEDNESDAY’S TOP STARS
- Hillary Victory, Eagle (softball): She hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning to lead the Mustangs to a 6-5 win over Borah that clinched the Mustangs a spot in the 5A state tournament.
- Dylan Gonzalez, Skyview (baseball): He saved the Hawks’ season by firing a three-hit shutout and striking out three to lead them to a 12-0, five-inning win in a 5A District Three Tournament elimination game.
- Beeg Hockenhull, Homedale (baseball): He broke open the 3A District Three championship game with a two-run double to left field in the seventh inning. The double was the key hit in a five-run inning that delivered the Trojans a 6-1 win over Fruitland and their third straight district title.
- Kali Branstetter, Weiser (softball): She homered twice and drove in three runs to clinch the Wolverines a 3A state tournament berth with an 11-7 win over Payette.
- Jordan Bowles, Horseshoe Bend (baseball): He threw a five-inning, one-hit shutout and struck out 10 to lead the Mustangs to a 10-0 win over Greenleaf in the opening round of the 1A District Three Tournament.
BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
SOFTBALL SCOREBOARD
This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 11:15 PM.
