Pirates win 2 of 3
The Prairie baseball team opened their 2021 season by winning 2 of their first 3 games. They lost their opener to Grangeville 5-15 at Kooskia Tuesday, March 16. On Friday, March 18 they again traveled to Kooskia where they picked up their first win, 12-2 over C.V. On Monday, March 22 they played Lapwai at Lewiston and won big, 27-0.
The Pirates opened their season against Grangeville at Kooskia Tuesday, May 16.
The Pirates started well, holding the lead after 3½ innings then things unraveled as they went down to defeat.
Prairie took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Reece Shears led off with a single to left but was forced at second for the second out by Chase Kaschmitter. After 2 wild pitches, Kaschmitter was standing on third. He scored when Connor Schwartz reached on an error.
Kaschmitter started on the mound for the Pirates and had a rocky first inning. He walked the first two batters and then an error loaded the bases. A fly ball to right field scored a run for Grangeville but Prairie turned that into a double play as they got the runner out trying to advance to third. A strikeout ended the inning with the score tied at 1-1.
Prairie added 3 runs in the second inning. Alex McElroy reached on a 1 out walk and went to second on a wild pitch. After a groundout, Brody Hasselstrom reached on a walk. Shears singled up the middle to score McElroy. Dalton Ross walked to load the bases and Kaschmitter then drove in 2 runs with a single up the middle to make it 4-1.
Kaschmitter struck out the side in the bottom of the second and then was pulled to keep his full pitch count available for Friday’s league game against Clearwater Valley.
Prairie didn’t score in the third and Grangeville got to Schwartz for 1 run. Schwartz got our of a bases loaded 1-out jam with only the 1 run scoring.
The Pirates added a run in the fourth as Lane Remacle led off with a single to left. After 2 outs, Ross walked again and then Kaschmitter singled to right to score Remacle.
That made it 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Schwartz struggled as he walked the first two batters. After getting an out, he gave up 3 straight hits before being lifted in favor or Colton McElroy. Colton didn’t give up any hits but he also couldn’t get anybody out as he faced 8 batters, walking 6 and hitting 2. He was lifted for Noah Behler who hit the first batter he faced then got out of the inning as Grangeville scored 12 runners after sending 17 hitters to the plate.
Prairie was unable to score in the fifth and Grangeville ended it in the bottom of the fifth on the 10-run rule after 3 walks and a single.
Prairie had 5 hits in the game led by Chase Kaschmitter who had 2 singles and 3 RBI. Shears had 2 singles and an RBI. Remacle had the other single.
Kaschmitter allowed 1 run on no hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts in 2 innings. Schwartz gave up 6 runs on 4 hits with 3 walks, 2 hit batters and 1 strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. McElroy gave up 8 runs. Behler gave up 1 run on 1 hit with 3 walks and a hit batsman in an inning.
Prairie        1 3 0   1 0—  5 5 2
Grangeville 1 0 1 12 1—15 5 1
Prairie came back with a win in their league opener at Kooskia Friday, March 19.
Kaschmitter tossed a 6-inning 3 hitter, allowing 2 runs as Prairie won 12-2 on a game shortened by the 10-run mercy rule.
The Pirates scored 1 run in each of the first 2 innings.
C.V. tied the score with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.
Prairie came right back with a 9-run uprising in the top of the fifth highlighted by a grand slam homer by Kaschmitter.
The Pirates added 1 in the sixth and then shut the Rams down in the bottom of the sixth to end the game on the 10-run rule.
Prairie pounded out 14 hits as Kaschmitter had 2 singles and a homer. Shears had 2 singles and a double. Alex McElroy had a single and a double. Schwartz had 2 singles. Matthew Seubert had a double and Travis Alfrey, Colton McElroy and Remacle each had a single.
Kaschmitter struck out 15 batters in 6 innings and had no walks.
Prairie 1 1 0 0 9 1—12 14 0
C.V.   0 0 0 2 0 0—  2   3 2
On Monday the Pirates overwhelmed an outmatched Lapwai Wildcats team as Connor Schwartz and Travis Alfrey combined on a 3-hit shutout while the Pirates offense sent at least 11 hitters to the plate each of the first 4 innings.
In the opening inning Prairie made just 1 out at the plate as the first 10 batters all reached base. Reece Shears reached on an error. Dalton Ross walked. Colton McElroy singled to right to score Shears. Chase Kaschmitter reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Schwartz singled to score Ross. McElroy scored on a passed ball. Travis Alfrey singled to reload the bases. Lane Remacle hit what maybe should have been called an infield fly but wasn’t with Alfrey getting forced at second as Kaschmitter scored. Schwartz scored on a balk. Alex McElroy singled to score Remacle. Noah Behler singled but McElroy wound up getting thrown out at third on the play. Shears walked then the inning ended on a strikeout. Prairie led 6-0.
By contrast, Schwartz faced just 3 hitters in the bottom of the first, striking out the first 2 and then getting a groundout to short.
In the second inning the Pirates merry-go-round started again. Colton McElroy led off with a single. Kaschmitter tripled to the fence in right center to score McElroy and came on in for the score as the relay from center was bobbled for an error. Schwarz reached on an error and went to second on a balk. Alfrey singled to right and stole second. Remacle then singled up the middle to score both baserunners. Alex McElroy beat out an infield single. A wild pitch moved up both runners then both Remacle scored and McElroy went to third on a balk. After an out, Shears and Ross both walked to load the bases. Lapwai changed pitchers and Colton McElroy drew a walk to force home his brother Alex. Kaschmitter singled to right to score both Shears and Ross. Schwartz forced Kaschmitter at second but Colton McElroy scored. That put Prairie up 15-0.
In the bottom of the second Schwartz struck out the first hitter then Lapwai got their first hit. Schwartz then struck out the next 2 hitters.
Prairie scored another 6 runs in the third inning. After an out, Brody Hasselstrom, in for Behler, drew a 1 out walk. Shears and Ross each singled to load the bases. Colton McElroy was hit by a pitch to score Hasselstrom. Kaschmitter singled to score both Shears and Ross. Schwartz reached on a forceout with McElroy forced at third. Alfrey doubled to left to score Kaschmitter. Remacle singled home Alfrey to make it 21-0.
Schwartz had another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third.
The Pirates scored another 6 runs in the fourth. Lapwai started the inning with their third pitcher of the game. Shears reached on an error to lead off the inning. Ross walked. After an out, Kaschmitter singled home Shears. Schwartz forced Kaschmitter at second but Ross scored on the play. Alfrey reached on an error and Remacle was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cody Kaschmitter, in for Alex McElroy, walked to score Schwartz. Hasselstrom then tripled to the gap in left center to score all three runners. That made it 27-0.
Schwartz finally ran into some trouble on the mound as he gave up a leadoff hit. The next hitter forced the leadoff runner at second. A single to right put runners plus a stolen base had runners on second and third with only 1 out. Schwartz then struck out the next 2 hitters to end the threat.
In the top of the fifth the intensity had dissipated with the Pirate offense as Chase Kaschmitter was the only baserunner with a walk.
In the bottom of the inning Alfrey took over on the mound and finished Lapwai off with a 1-2-3 inning with 2 strikeouts and a groundout to short.
Prairie pounded out 18 hits in the game. Chase Kaschmitter had a triple and 3 singles with 6 RBI. Alfrey had a double and 2 singles and an RBI. Remacle had 2 singles and 4 RBI. Alex McElroy had 2 singles and an RBI. Colton McElroy had 2 singles and 3 RBI. Schwartz had a single and 3 RBI. Hasselstrom had a triple and 3 RBI. Shears, Ross and Behler each had a single.
Schwartz gave up no runs on 3 hits with 6 strikeouts and no walks in 4 innings. Alfrey pitched 1 inning and gave up no runs and no hits with 2 strikeouts.
Prairie is no 2-0 in league play and 2-1 overall.
Prairie  6 9 6 6 0—27 18 0
Lapwai 0 0 0 0 0—  0   3 7

16-vs. Grangeville @ C.V., 4 p.m., lost 5-15
19-at C.V., 3 p.m. , won 12-2
22-vs. Lapwai @ Lewiston, 4:30 p.m., won 27-0
26-at Kamiah, 4:30 p.m., moved to Friday due to weather on Thursday

13-Kamiah, here, 4:30 p.m.
15-Lewis County, here, (2) 3:30 p.m.
17-at Kendrick, noon
19-Genesee , here, 4:30 p.m.
20-Lapwai, here, 4:30 p.m.
24-at Potlatch (2), noon and 2 p.m.
26-Grangeville, here 4 p.m.
20-vs. Troy @ Lewiston (2), 4 p.m.

3-at Genesee, 4 p.m.
4-Kendrick, here, 4 p.m.
6-C.V., here 4 p.m.
11-District Play-In games, #6 at #3 and #4 at #5, 4:30 p.m.
13-14-District at Orofino
21-22-State at Orofino