POCATELLO — Pocatello High School’s baseball team posted an 8-3 victory over Rigby on Tuesday in non-conference play, while a full slate of spring softball games across eastern Idaho produced results with implications for teams throughout the region. The Thunder’s win came at home and featured a strong pitching performance from the mound along with balanced offensive contributions throughout the lineup.
Carson Allen Leads Pocatello to Victory on the Mound
Junior right-hander Carson Allen was the story of Tuesday’s game at Pocatello High School, earning the win after tossing six complete innings against the Rigby Trojans. Allen allowed six hits and three earned runs while striking out five batters and issuing just two walks, giving the Thunder defense a solid foundation to work with throughout the contest.
Pocatello’s offense answered the call across the lineup, with three Thunder hitters recording two hits apiece and five players driving in runs on the evening. Senior Huston Himmerich was among the contributors, going 2-for-3 at the plate and crossing home twice from the seven hole in the batting order. The well-distributed offensive production gave Pocatello plenty of cushion as Allen worked through the Trojan lineup.
Rigby entered the game carrying a 4-6 overall record but sitting at 2-0 in High Country Conference play, making the Thunder’s victory all the more meaningful as Pocatello works to find its footing heading deeper into the season. The Thunder improved to 5-6 overall with the win, while Rigby dropped to 4-6 overall and 2-1 in conference action after the road loss.
Despite the loss, Rigby’s senior tandem of Bentley Brower and Jayden Belnap continued to provide production at the plate. Brower went an impressive 3-for-4 on the day, personally accounting for all three of Rigby’s runs scored. Belnap added two hits of his own, with the pair combining for five of the Trojans’ six total hits on the afternoon. Rigby will need contributions beyond those two veteran bats as conference play continues.
Softball Scores from Across Eastern Idaho on Tuesday
Tuesday’s softball slate featured several matchups with southeast Idaho teams in action, headlined by a dominant Pocatello performance. The Lady Thunder made a statement with a 13-1 rout of Madison, a result that provided Pocatello fans and coaches plenty of reason for optimism as the spring season progresses.
North Fremont continued to build its resume with a commanding 25-10 win over West Jefferson in conference play, improving to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league action. However, the Huskies continue to chase undefeated Salmon, which sits at a perfect 12-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play, setting up what could be a defining stretch of the season for North Fremont if the two programs are scheduled to meet.
In other action, Blackfoot held off Thunder Ridge 6-3 in a matchup with implications for both programs. Sugar-Salem edged Marsh Valley 12-9 in what turned out to be a high-scoring affair, with Marsh Valley unable to hold on despite a competitive showing. Firth dominated Ririe 15-3, and Hillcrest took a close 10-9 decision over Shelley to round out the night’s results.
The Madison at Highland matchup saw the Bobcats open their conference season on the wrong foot, falling to Madison in a game that marked Highland’s first 5A Snake River Conference contest of the year. Highland entered at 4-7 overall and will look to find more consistent production as league play picks up.
Canyon Ridge also picked up a win on Tuesday, defeating Thunder Ridge to move to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Thunder Ridge dropped to 4-4-1 on the season with the home loss, falling to 0-1 in their conference slate. The result leaves Thunder Ridge looking for answers early in league competition.
What Comes Next
Pocatello will look to build on Tuesday’s win as the Thunder continue navigating what has been a challenging overall record through the early portion of the season. With home wins like Tuesday’s against a conference-leading opponent, momentum appears to be building for the program heading into warmer weather and a more demanding stretch of the schedule. Fans in Bannock County can follow continued prep sports coverage and statewide results at Idaho News and across the Idaho News Network.