05-09-2008
As far as preparing a team for the state baseball tournament goes, Friday's 5A High Country Conference championship against Madison was perfect for Twin Falls.
The contest was a defensive struggle in the first three innings, with each pitcher racking up strikeouts. The Bruins finally broke the tie in the bottom of the third with back to back singles to score Zeb Sneed and Braden Box.
The Wildcats responded with a run in the fourth, and then four runs in the fifth sparked by Jaden Cook's two-run homer. So just like that, the Bruins were down three with three innings left to play.
Casey Jeroue got Twin Falls back on track when he hit a solo homerun to left in the bottom of the sixth. Then with a runner on third, Sneed hit a ground ball to third that was fielded by Rhett Sutton. But Sutton's throw went wide of the first baseman, and the throwing error brought Bo Folkinga across the plate and the Bruins within one.
Twin Falls was able to hold Madison scoreless in the top of the seventh, then tied the game on a Conner Watkins single that plated Zack Slotten. Later in the inning, with runners on first and second, Folkinga jumped all over the first pitch he saw and blasted a three-run shot over the fence in left-center. With that, the Bruins had won the 5A High Country Conference championship in walk off fashion, 8-5.
Twin Falls will next play in the 5A State Baseball Tournament, starting Thursday, May 15.