District baseball scores: ‘Resilient’ Skyview earns back-to-back district titles
Skyview baseball coach Ryan Bobo didn’t hesitate when a decision needed to be made.
With a runner on base and no outs in the bottom of the seventh, Bobo called on freshman pitcher Elijah Strong.
Strong delivered as though he were a seasoned vet, helping the Hawks earn the final three outs and a 6-5 win over Bishop Kelly in the 5A District Three Tournament championship game Thursday night at Vallivue High School.
[Related: Full baseball district tournament brackets, scores]
It is the second straight district title for the Hawks (16-5-1), who receive an automatic bid and the right to host in the new 12-team regional tournament next week. The top four teams from regionals advance to state.
“He’s been doing it all year,” Bobo said. “He’s one of our top arms. He’s a freshman, but he plays like a senior and nothing bothers him. He’s just out there playing baseball.”
Thursday’s win avenged two losses to the Knights (13-10) during the regular season and marks the seventh district championship in program history for the Hawks.
“They’re just resilient,” Bobo said. “We trust each other and trust the process. You pitch and play defense, you’ll be alright.”
Skyview led 6-4 after six innings and sent senior Jacoby Navarro to the mound in the bottom of the seventh. But Navarro’s arm was off, throwing four straight balls to walk Bishop Kelly batter Ayden Boyd.
Bobo handed the ball over to Strong, and BK senior center fielder Lucas Blaine laced the first pitch he saw down the left-field line for a double.
Strong didn’t flinch.
“I was just trusting my team behind me that they would pick me up and take care of business,” Strong said. “I just had to make them put the ball in play.”
With the potential game-tying run now on base, Knights senior Zach Wright reached on a fielder’s choice. But Skyview second baseman Tyler Russell threw to catcher Trevan Plew at home, nailing BK’s Boyd for the first out of the inning.
Strong then picked up a strikeout for the second out and allowed a one-run single to BK’s Cole Keck. But the Hawks closed out the inning — and the victory — when shortstop Ledger Downs scooped up a ground ball and flipped to second base for the third and final out.
[Related: Brackets, schedule for softball district tournaments]
“Relief because it was really nerve-racking at the end there,” said Downs, who finished 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs, including a two-run single in the top of the first that got the Hawks rolling.
While Strong recorded the save, junior righty Marcus Martinez earned the win for the Hawks, surrendering four hits and no runs over four innings while striking out five and walking one.
Skyview finished with six hits to Bishop Kelly’s 10, but the Knights committed three errors and were never able to overcome a four-run deficit after three innings.
Russell, Plew, right fielder Mason Krahn, first baseman John Tyson and second baseman Aaron Vavold each added a hit for the Hawks.
Center fielder Lucas Blaine and second baseman Jaxon Brady paced the Knights at the plate with three hits apiece, and senior lefty Zach Wright took the loss.
BK will face Nampa (11-13) — a 10-0 winner over Vallivue — on Saturday for the district’s second automatic bid to regionals. Four statewide at-large berths to the regional tournament are also available, which will be determined by the final MaxPreps rankings.
6A SIC DISTRICT BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
MIDDLETON 10, CENTENNIAL 4: The Vikings wasted little time getting to work in the first game of the district championship series, scoring three runs before Centennial could record an out to advance to the championship game Friday against Owyhee.
Cam Lenius drew first blood with an RBI single through the left side, and Grady Churchfield added a two-run single to build a lead Middleton never surrendered.
Jeremiah Keithley added a two-run home run in the third inning before the Patriots got on the scoreboard, and Boomer Collins threw three scoreless innings out of the bullpen to end any thoughts of a comeback.
The win guarantees Middleton (18-3) will host one of the state’s three-team regional tournaments next weekend and receive a first-round bye. Winners of those tournaments advance to a new four-team state tournament.
Korbyn Nielsen went 2-for-3 to lead Centennial (18-6), which also has clinched a berth in the regional round but will need to travel.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN 10, RIDGEVUE 0 (5 innings): Lincoln Mathis carried the Grizzlies on the mound and at the plate to move within one win of clinching a berth in the new regional round.
The College of Southern Idaho commit threw 3 ⅓ scoreless innings for the win, holding Ridgevue to two hits while striking out six. He also went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to aid his own cause.
The win moves Rocky Mountain into the final of their three-team regional qualifier. The Grizzlies need to win just one of two games Saturday against either Ridgevue or Capital for a spot in regionals.
MOUNTAIN VIEW 7, EAGLE 3: The Mavericks erupted for five runs in the bottom of the sixth, rallying to advance to the finals of their regional qualifier.
Mountain View (16-8) started the sixth inning with three straight singles. Eagle looked to limit the damage with a double play that allowed the tying run to score. But Ryder Hollifield kept the rally going with an RBI single, and Cade Burnham and Cooper Schneidt followed with back-to-back singles to build a cushion.
Eagle took a brief 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth with Brady Ford’s run-scoring single, and Dallin Snooks added a pair of triples for the Mustangs (13-10). Eagle will need to beat Timberline on Friday to get another shot at Mountain View in the double-elimination series.
4A SRV DISTRICT BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
FRUITLAND 12, PAYETTE 0 (5 innings): Coye Coffman fired a five-inning no-hitter and struck out nine to lift the Grizzlies to their first district championship since 2017, ending a run of five straight runner-up finishes for the perennial power.
The win extended Fruitland’s perfect season to 24-0 and clinched the Grizzlies the conference’s lone automatic berth in the new regional round before the state tournament.
Max Vidlak cranked a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning, part of back-to-back six-run innings from the Grizzlies to trigger the mercy rule. Nate Grosvenor also drove in three runs, and Jayden Grosdidier added a double and two RBIs.
THURSDAY’S GAME BALLS
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BASEBALL
Ledger Downs, Skyview: Kick-started the Hawks’ 6-5 district championship win over Bishop Kelly with a two-run single to left field in the first inning. Downs finished 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBI.
Blake Smith, Nampa: The junior saved his best outing of the season for its biggest moment yet, pitching a five-inning, one-hit shutout as the Bulldogs upset Vallivue 10-0 to advance to the second-place game in the 5A SIC district tournament.
Coye Coffman, Fruitland: Threw a five-inning no-hitter, struck out nine and stole two bases to lead the Grizzlies to the 4A SRV district title.
Pete Dice, Nampa Christian: Pitched a complete-game to lead the Trojans to a 9-1 win over Parma, clinching a spot in the 2A WIC district championship. He gave up one unearned run on one hit and struck out eight.
Luke Steinmeyer, Marsing: Hit a two-run home run and went 4-for-5 with four RBIs in a 14-4 win over New Plymouth that sent the Huskies to the 2A WIC district championship.
BASEBALL DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SCOREBOARD
Championship series
All three teams advance to regionals
THURSDAY, MAY 1
Opening round
Middleton 10, Centennial 4
FRIDAY, MAY 2
Championship
Middleton at No. 1 Owyhee, 6 p.m.
Regional Qualifiers
THURSDAY, MAY 1
At Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain 10, Ridgevue 0, 5 innings
At Mountain View
Mountain View 7, Eagle 3
FRIDAY, MAY 2
At Rocky Mountain
Game 3: Capital vs. Ridgevue, 6 p.m.
At Mountain View
Game 8: Timberline vs. Eagle, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 3
Finals
(Winners to regionals)
At Rocky Mountain
Game 4: Rocky Mountain vs. Winner 3, 1 p.m.
Game 5: Loser 4 vs. Winner 4, 4 p.m. (if necessary)
At Mountain View
Game 9: Mountain View vs. Winner 8, 1 p.m.
Game 10: Loser 9 vs. Winner 9, 4 p.m. (if necessary)
THURSDAY, MAY 1
Losers’ bracket
At Vallivue
Nampa 10, Vallivue 0, 5 innings
Championship
(Winner to regionals)
At Vallivue
Skyview 6, Bishop Kelly 5
SATURDAY, MAY 3
Second-place game
(Winner to regionals)
At Vallivue
Bishop Kelly vs. Nampa, 12 p.m.
THURSDAY, MAY 1
Championship
(Winner to regionals)
Fruitland 12, Payette 0, 5 innings
THURSDAY, MAY 1
First round
At Nampa Christian
Parma 3, Melba 2
At Marsing
New Plymouth 10, Vision Charter 1
Semifinals
Nampa Christian 9, Parma 1
Marsing 14, New Plymouth 4, 6 innings
FRIDAY, MAY 2
Losers’ bracket
Game 5: Melba at New Plymouth, 5 p.m.
Game 6: Vision Charter at Parma, 5 p.m.
Championship
(Winner to regionals)
At Parma
Game 7: Marsing at Nampa Christian, 5 p.m.
This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 10:21 PM.
