Highland baseball team's first-round woes at state continue in loss to Owyhee

CALDWELL − It really seemed like this was finally going to be the year.

The Highland baseball team posted 20-plus wins and had its best winning streak (15) in at least 17 years. But even with all that, it still couldn’t get out of the first round of the Class 5A State Tournament Thursday at Wolfe Field on the campus of the College of Idaho.

The Rams fell 7-4 to two-time reigning state champion Owyhee for their sixth consecutive loss in the opening round of state. They haven’t been to the semifinals since 2016 and are now just 1-11 since.

Highland (21-7) will play Coeur d’Alene (17-11) at 12:30 p.m. Friday in the consolation round.

“We gotta win that first game,” Highland head coach Christian Colonel said. “I’m not happy with the loss, but I’m not displeased with the loss because my boys played hard. We played well. I think we gave Owyhee everything they could handle.”

Especially in the beginning.

The Rams went right at the second-seed Storm (22-2), who had won 15 straight games of their own, in the opening inning. Leadoff hitter Colton Durham needed just three pitches to rip a line drive single to left field. Hudson John followed suit with one of his own before Preston Foltz drove in the game’s first run on a sac fly.

They then plated two more runs in the top of the second on a bases-loaded walk and after Drew Hymas stole home on a wild pitch from Lucas Skinner. Highland chased the Owyhee starter after just one and one-third innings with a 3-1 advantage and just one out.

“That’s what we wanted to do,” Colonel said. “Put some pressure on them early.”

The Rams still had two runners in scoring position at second and third base in the same inning. But Durham struck out swinging and Mason Payne grounded out to end the inning.

Highland still held Owyhee in check for the next two innings, though. Most of that had to do with the pitching of Taylor Stringfellow. The senior ace came into the game with a 5-0 record and a 2.09 ERA. He looked every bit the part, too. He allowed just one hit and fanned five batters during the first three innings alone.

However, the wheels came off a bit for him and the rest of the team in the next two innings.

Stringfellow started out the bottom of the fourth with a walk. He then plunked Drew Schumacher to put the tying run on. Hymas had a chance to get him out of the jam. But Christian Zannito’s hit ended up going right over his head. So it scored one run and another came in to tie the game at 3-3 after Carson Choules’ relay throw home was well off the mark.

Foltz then dropped a routine flyball in left field, which resulted in another Storm run. Ryder Cutlip capped the fourth inning scoring barrage with an RBI single to right field. They scored another two runs in the fifth for a grand total of six runs in two innings.

It all resulted in a sudden 7-3 hole and Stringfellow getting yanked after four and two-thirds innings. He ended up finishing with nine hits, seven earned runs, four walks, two hit by pitches and five strikeouts for his worst outing of the season.

“One inning got away from him just a little bit, but there were a couple of mistakes behind him,” Colonel said. “We just rushed some things and didn’t let the game come to us. We didn’t take advantage when they gave us outs. It just kind of slipped away from us a little bit.”

Despite all of that, the Rams still had a chance in the final inning. They got the would-be tying run to the plate in Foltz after Hymas trimmed the deficit down to 7-4 on an RBI single to left field in the sixth. But with two runners on, Foltz ended the game on a pop out to the shortstop.

“We’re a good team,” Colonel said. “I hope my boys take away that they gave them a good battle. It’s just heartbreaking. But at the same time, we got to regroup tonight and play tomorrow.”

Durham, John and Cannon Eddie all tallied two hits apiece for the Rams, who can still bring home a state trophy for the first time in a decade. Their last one was a consolation championship back in 2014. They’ve only won two postseason games since then.

“It’s a little tough,” Colonel said. “These guys are good up here. But we’re good too. And we just got to put that good game together. It’s just gonna take that first game."