Genesee, Troy will square off for 1A baseball title
May 21—BOISE — The semifinal round of the 2022 Idaho Class 1A state baseball tournament at Capital High School almost was a carbon copy of the same round of the district tournament last week in Orofino, just reverse the results.
In the first game, Troy avenged a loss to Prairie of Cottonwood with a 19-0 win in a game that ended after the fifth inning because of the mercy rule.
Genesee then got revenge with a 7-3 victory against Clearwater Valley of Kooskia and now are one win away from back-to-back state championships.
"Phenomenally proud to watch these guys, with unbelievable focus and doing it for each other, doing baseball the right way," Genesee coach Kevin Maurer said. "Not only their play, but respecting how the game is played is something I am beyond proud of."
Troy and Genesee will battle for the state title at 2 p.m. Pacific today at the same site. Prairie and Clearwater Valley will meet in the third-place game at 11 a.m. Pacific.
Two offenses that combined for 36 runs in the opening round in the Rams (16-10) and the Bulldogs (16-3) struggled to get any offense going against one another and only combined for six hits.
Nate Guinard was one batter away from a complete game, hitting his pitch limit, finishing with six strikeouts.
"He had the best composure I have ever seen out of him," said Maurer of the senior right-hander, who in his first career start four years ago against Potlatch walked six consecutive batters.
Genesee got things rolling with a one-out double in the first by Cameron Meyer. Guinard was intentionally walked and Jacob Krick also walked to load the bases. Meyer would score on a wild pitch, then Jackson Zenner's sacrifice fly to right field made it 2-0 Bulldogs.
In the second inning, Derek Burt and Cy Wareham each scored on a wild pitch, with Wareham scrambling all the way home from first for a four-run edge.
Clearwater Valley senior Laton Schlieper huddled the team after the miscue and it seemed to work as his brother, Landon Schlieper, struck out the next batter to get out of that inning.
But Genesee continued to take advantage of costly mistakes when with a man on, Zenner hit one into a puddle on the warning track in left field. The throw back in sailed past the third baseman and into the Rams' dugout, allowing Zenner to come all the way around to score to make it 6-0.
The Bulldogs had their share of miscues as well. Ridge Shown scored the first run for the Rams in the fourth after Carson Schilling advanced on a dropped third strike, and the throw from Teak Wareham went into the outfield. An off-target throw in the fifth by Genesee allowed two more to score to make it a three-run game.
"This was kind of a battle of who made a few less mistakes," Clearwater Valley coach Josh Bradley said. "I think ours were a little more costly. Proud of our kids, win lose or draw we competed, we didn't give up and that is the main thing."
Clearwater Valley junior Anthony Fabbi went 2-for-3 with a run scored. The third baseman also had the defensive play of the game with a nice barehanded catch and throw on a slow roller by Burt.
Genesee 222 001 0—7 3 2
Clearwater Valley 000 120 0—3 3 3
Nate Guinard, Cy Wareham (7) and Teak Wareham; Landon Schlieper, Ridge Shown (6) and Ridge Shown, Anthony Fabbi (6). W—Guinard. L—Schlieper.
Genesee hits — Cameron Meyer (2B), Jackson Zenner (2B), Derek Burt.
Clearwater Valley hits — Anthony Fabbi 2 (2B), Trevor Altman.
Troy 19, Prairie 0
The Trojans (14-6) will be playing in the state championship for the first time in school history.
"You are darn right it did," Troy coach Travis House said about whether last week's game was used as motivation for this one. "We lost to them the last two times we faced them. They are a great team ... that is one thing about playing in the Whitepine League, you see each other a lot."
Freshman Dominic Holden almost was unhittable in first 3 1/3 innings. Logan Weber ended his day with a bloop single just over the outstretched glove of shortstop Cameron House.
"He came in and did exactly what he did all season," Travis House said. "He threw strikes, he stayed around the plate, he had good movement."
Holden needed just eight pitches to retire six straight Prairie batters in the second and third innings.
Troy batted around in the first three innings, including in a nine-run second inning that saw 14 come to the plate.
Another freshman, catcher Makhi Durrett, led the way for the Trojans with a 2-for-2 day with three runs scored and three RBI. He got aboard in all five plate appearances.
Cameron House had the play of the day at the end of the third inning. Dylan Uhlenkott floated one into shallow left field and with his back to the infield, made a diving catch to save what still was a no-hit bid.
Troy 493 03—19 12 0
Prairie 000 00—0 1 1
Dominic Holden, Joseph Bendel (4) and Makhi Durrett; Chase Kaschmitter, Reece Shears (2), Colton McElroy (2) and Cody Kaschmitter. W—Holden. L—Ch. Kaschmitter.
Troy hits — Brody Patrick 3, Joseph Bendel 2, Austin Trout 2 (2B), Makhi Durrett 2, Cameron House, Boden DeMeerleer, Dominic Holden.
Prairie hit — Logan Weber.
Isbelle can be reached at sports@lmtribune.com, (208) 848-2268 or on Twitter @RandyIsbelle.
