Defending state champion Timberline makes it an all-5A SIC state semifinal for the third consecutive season behind Saunders’ one-hitter

CALDWELL - Kailer Saunders didn’t know he was in the midst of a one-hitter.

Timberline High School’s senior ace wasn’t the only one.

The Northwest Nazarene University signee threw a quiet one-hitter in a 3-0 win against Highland on Thursday in the opening round of the Idaho Class 5A state tournament at Wolfe Field.

Behind it, the defending state champions made it an all-Southern Idaho Conference semifinal for the third consecutive year.

The third-seeded Wolves (21-4) will play No. 2 Rocky Mountain (21-6) at 6:30 Friday in the semis.

"It’s my final game pitching, so I was really happy," Saunders said. "I got my team’s back and we’re moving on to day two."

Saunders put five runners on base, with three of those coming off walks. But he only allowed one of those to reach third base, and that came in the second inning when he surrendered his one and only hit to Drew Hymas on a grounder past the shortstop.

However, after that, only two runners reached second and those came on a sacrifice bunt in the third and a fielding error in the fourth. Saunders was then lights-out the rest of the way, including striking out the side in the fifth inning. He finished the day with six total strikeouts.

"He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever coached," Timberline coach Casey Coberly said. "And I’ve been coaching for 10 years now. He may be the best competitor."

Timberline plated all of its runs in the fourth inning. After Rams (19-11) senior pitcher Colton Sneddon walked in a run, junior Carter Walsh ripped a two-run single right past the second baseman. Walsh finished with two hits, as did Oregon State signee Logan Miller.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN 7, BORAH 0: Rocky Mountain coach Stephan Zanoni didn’t even think about making a move with his ace Luke Hines.

Following rough outings during his last few times on the hill, he once again found himself in a pinch. He had loaded up the bases in the fifth inning with just one out and his team up 4-0. The senior responded with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

"As a head coach, you’re never going to say your heart’s not racing a little bit when the other team’s got bases loaded," Zanoni said. "But I had full confidence that he was going to pitch us out of that."

Hines fired a four-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in the win.

Senior Derek Schumacher bagged a pair of doubles, including one in the fourth inning that sparked four runs. The Grizzlies didn’t score a single run during last week’s District III championship series against Mountain View. But they got the monkey off their back. It was something Rocky Mountain literally embraced with money cries. It even passed around a monkey mask for everyone to wear in the dugout.

OWYHEE 6, LEWISTON 4: The first-year school just continues to make history.

It was the baseball team this time by picking up the first state tournament win in program history. It was one that few saw coming with only one player on the roster with any real varsity experience coming in.

But here they are.

The No. 5 Storm (18-9) will play No. 1 Mountain View (22-3) at 4 p.m. Friday in the semifinal round.

"Our guys knew that it wasn’t outside of the realm of possibility," said Owyhee coach Russ Wright, who won eight state championships with Fruitland. "You looked at us in the spring and you saw some of the talent that we had. We just had to find a way to get it all to come together."

Trailing 3-2 and down to their final four outs in the top of the sixth inning, senior Drayton Black smacked a two-run single that dropped just fair down the right field line to give them the lead for good.

MOUNTAIN VIEW 1, IDAHO FALLS 0: For the third consecutive season, the Mavericks advanced to the semifinals.

Even if this time, it was by the skin of their teeth.

A dropped strike three on Tyson Grow, a sacrifice bunt by Logan Burrell and a rare balk from Tigers’ (17-12) ace Merit Jones, allowed Jack Barker’s fielder’s choice RBI in the bottom of the fifth inning to be the difference.

Sophomore Will Grizzle outdueled Jones to hand him his first career loss. Jones was 16-0 coming in. Grizzle allowed just four hits and struck out 11 in the win on the bump.

"One of the best damn players in our conference, if not the state," Mountain View coach Matt Rasmussen said. "He’s young, but he’s proved there’s not a moment that’s too big for him."