Tiger nine wins district crown

The Mountain Home Tiger win streak, which started after being no-hit at Caldwell on April 27, reached seven last week, as the Tigers won the District III 4A Baseball Tournament at Kuna.

Mountain Home 13

Vallivue 3

The Tigers opened district tourney play against Vallivue, a team they had swept during the regular season, including a 6-1 win just four days earlier at Vallivue.

The Tigers plated a run in the first, but Vallivue got to Tiger pitcher Brian Fields for two runs in the second. Mountain Home then scored five runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up 6-2.

After Vallivue scored another run in the top of the fourth, the Tigers added five more in the bottom of the inning to increase their lead to 11-3. They added two more runs in the fifth to end it 13-3, by the 10-run rule.

Brett Young and Michael DesPres both had three hits. DesPres hit a double and four RBIs, Young, a triple and two. Alan Lawler had two hits and an RBI, Andrew Grodi had a two-run home run, Jacob Dunn had an RBI single, David Pacheco, a triple, David Wise, a double, and Dillon Barresi, a single.

Brian Fields picked up the win, giving up just three hits in the five innings, while striking out three, walking five and hitting one batter.

The Tigers faced Caldwell's Kent Bradshaw in the semifinals last Tuesday, and David Wise's single in the first inning made sure they would not be no-hit again.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, Andrew Grodi plating one of them with a triple.

Caldwell answered with two runs in the third off Tiger starter Michael Hobgood.

A two-run home run by Andrew Grodi in the fourth -- his second in two games -- put Mountain Home up 4-2. Caldwell got one back in the bottom half of the inning to make it 4-3 Tigers.

Jacob Dunn singled in Brett Young in the Tigers' sixth to make it 5-3 Mountain Home, and that was the score as the Cougars came to bat in the last of the seventh.

Michael Hobgood got Aaron Stone to pop up to start the inning. After Jacob Garsez reached on an error, Hobgood struck out Kent Bradshaw for the second out of the inning. However, he then hit Freddie Betancourt, and Korey Yost followed with an RBI single to cut the Tiger lead to 5-4.

Tiger head coach Travis DeVore then brought in ace reliever Jacob Dunn, who walked Greg Rambow on four pitches to load the bases. Dunn fell behind Cougar batter Eric Johnson in the count, but battled back to strike him out and end the inning and the ball game.

That meant the Tigers were in the district championship game, and going to state.

Andrew Grodi led the Tigers at the plate, driving in three runs with a triple and a home run. Jacob Dunn had two hits and an RBI, and David Wise, Brett Young and Alan Lawler also had hits.

Michael Hobgood got the win, his third against three losses, and Jacob Dunn earned his third save of the season.

Mountain Home 4

Kuna 3

The Tigers faced the Kuna Kavemen for the district championship Friday, with both teams already assured of a state tourney berth. The Tigers had not beaten Kuna during the regular season, losing 5-2 at Mountain Home, and 6-2 at Kuna.

Coach DeVore went with Michael DesPres in the Championship game. It was the sophomore's first varsity start.

The Kavemen got to him for one run in the second, and, after Mountain Home scored two in the top of the third, Kuna came back with two in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-2 Kavemen.

Andrew Grodi continued his hot hitting, doubling in Michael DesPres in the fourth to tie the game at 3-3. A Kuna fielding error gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead in the fifth.

Michael DesPres pitched brilliantly, limiting the Kavemen to just four hits, striking out two and walking four. He retired the final 10 batters he faced.

"What a week!" said a happy Coach DeVore after the game. "No matter what happens from here on out, obviously, I want the state title, and these guys have shown themselves capable of that, this is the best week of baseball in my life!

"Seriously, this team, to start off the season the way we did, getting beat up by the 5As, and then all of a sudden, just come alive, winning seven in a row to finish the season and win district to go to state, I'm just really impressed with these guys, and it's their attitude -- it's not me, it's not any of the coaches -- it's their attitude.

"They came to play this week, and I'm amazed by this team. First the wins by two pitchers -- juniors -- and get to the championship game and a sophomore (Michael DesPres) picks up the win in his first varsity start. It's a story book finish, and I hope we carry it on in to state."

The Tigers open play in the State 4A Baseball Tournament at Nampa's Rodeo Park tomorrow (Thursday) evening at 7 p.m. against the Jerome Tigers.