Baker Team Rudi’s Junior Legion baseball season came to a controversial finish Saturday at the Cal

Baker Team Rudi’s Junior Legion baseball season came to a controversial finish Saturday at the Caldwell Invitational tournament.

Team Rudi (7-7 for the season) was leading Northwest Ada County 3-1 with no outs in the bottom of the first inning when Anthony Shankle was ejected for improperly sliding into home plate. Since the Baker team had just nine players to start the game the Diamondbacks had to forfeit the game.

“The umpire called Anthony safe then ejected him from the tournament for not sliding properly into the catcher,” said Team Rudi coach Dave Richards.

The decision left Team Rudi with a 2-2 record at the tournament. The Diamondbacks opened the tournament with a 17-1 win over East Boise and followed that with a 9-8 win over North Boise. Team Rudi lost its third game 15-4 to the Snake River Valley Nationals all-star team.

“I told the kids judgment calls are made all the time. We don’t always agree with them, but we just have to deal with them,” Richards said.

Team Rudi forfeits

Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the first, Team Rudi’s offense clicked into gear.

Dillon Blankenship reached base on an error and Colten Richards walked. Both scored on a double by Shankle. Then Alex Turner singled to score Shankle, and the controversy began.

“It’s a tough way to end the season, but the kids had a good run,” Richards said.

Team Rudi 17, East Boise 1

Team Rudi used two big innings to put the game away early.

Singles by Sam Averett and Shankle, a double by Blankenship and four walks produced six runs in the second inning.

A two-run triple by Shankle, a two-run double by Dustin Hull and RBI singles by Tyler Talbot and Darren Dolby sparked a 7-run fourth inning for the Diamondbacks.

“The kids hit the ball real well,” Richards said.

Keifer Mespelt and Blankenship combined to allow just one run.

“Both of our pitchers were in control the whole time,” Richards said.

Blankenship finished the game 3-for-3, and Turner 2-for-3. Richards and Shankle each added two hits.

Team Rudi nips North Boise

Richards said the Diamondbacks won this game in an ugly fashion.

“We made a few mistakes, but hung on to win,” he said.

Hull’s RBI double, and Shankle’s run-scoring single helped Team Rudi take a 5-0 lead in the first.

Then, leading 5-3 in the second, Turner’s bases-loaded two-out single plated three more runs for an 8-3 lead.

“That was some great situational hitting,” Richards said.

Colten Richards’ RBI double in the third increased Team Rudi’s lead to 9-3.

Blankenship threw the first three innings, and was relieved by Hull in the fourth. North Boise took advantage of Hull’s wildness to pull within 9-8.

“Dustin walked five batters,” Richards said. “His curve ball was not working for him.”

Richards then brought in Shankle to pitch the sixth. He hit the first batter he faced. Two Baker errors loaded the bases with no outs.

Shankle then struck out the next batter. The next hitter then blooped a ball back to Shankle who caught the ball and fired to first for the double play to end the game.

SRV 15, Team Rudi 4

“SRV hit the ball well,” Richards said.

Colten Richards’ two-run home run gave Team Rudi a brief lead in the first. SRV then took an 8-2 lead in the bottom of the inning.

“SRV was hitting Mespelt and Shankle. They were throwing strikes but SRV was hitting the ball in the holes,” Richards said.

Chance Parry’s bunt produced Team Rudi’s final run in the second.

Talbot then came on to pitch in the third.

“He showed a lot of composure on the mound,” the Baker coach said. “He kept them off balance, allowing just three runs in two innings.”