‘AA’ Stars still alive
‘A’ Stars knocked out of state play in two straight
By: ARGUS OBSERVER SPORTS STAFF
Friday, July 31, 2009 10:05 AM PDT
LEWISTON—The Treasure Valley ‘AA’ Stars kept their season alive with an 8-3 victory over Idaho Falls in American Legion state baseball action Thursday in Lewiston.
Stars assistant coach Aaron Sutton admitted he was not worried at all when asked if his team would come out strong or mail in a loss.
“I have all the confidence in the world in them. All of them are still hungry and are focused on winning a state championship,” Sutton said. “We played to win, so right now, we will take anything we can to get ourselves going.”
The Stars jumped out of the gates early with two runs in the first, and a single run in the top of third to take a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth, the Stars broke open the floodgates with three runs on two hits.
Chase Fields kicked off the frame by reaching base on a hit by pitch, and Nick Varriale followed with a single.
Daulton Blackwell reached base on a fielder’s choice to load the bases for Josh Mejia.
Mejia came through with a bases-clearing single to right field to give the Stars a 6-0 cushion.
The Stars added a single run in the seventh to make the score 7-0, and from that point on, Idaho falls scratched together three runs.
Stars hurler Ryan Laubacher tossed six innings, allowed three hits, struck out 10 and walked four to pick up the win.
Varriale went 3-for-4 with a run scored, and teammates Brad Pollock and Mejia each rattled off two hits.
Pollock scored two runs, and Mejia drove in three for the Stars, who pounded out 11 hits.
Boise ...........................13
TV ‘A’ Stars .....................5
LEWISTON
Nico Martinez and Joe Martarano slammed two hits apiece including home runs, but it wasn’t enough, as the Treasure Valley ‘A’ Stars had their season cut short in a 13-5 loss to the Boise Capitals in American legion state baseball action Thursday in Orofino.
On the first pitch of the contest, Martinez chalked up his roundtripper to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.
Boise then came out and plated four runs to take a 4-1 lead heading into the second frame.
Both teams went scoreless in the second, but in the third, Martarano roped a three-run home run to even the count at 4-all.
The capitals broke loose from that point on, scoring three in the third, four in the fifth and two in the sixth to put the Stars away.
Martinez tossed 41⁄3 innings, allowed five hits, walked five and struck out two.
“Don’t let the fact that we did not do well at state diminish how good of a season we had,” Stars head coach Russ Wright said. “We accomplished a lot this year and we are hoping this is the first step for many more years of success.”
