Kimberly Bulldogs Drop Game One of 4A State Regional Series to Homedale, 6-1
Homedale Pitcher Dominates as Trojans Take Early Series Advantage
The Kimberly Bulldogs suffered a 6-1 defeat at home Friday to the Homedale Trojans in the opening game of a best-of-three 4A State Regional series, putting the Bulldogs in an early hole as postseason pressure mounts.
Homedale entered the contest as the No. 2 seed in the 4A Idaho high school baseball postseason, having finished the regular season with a 20-6 record and earning third place in the 4A District 3 tournament. That résumé earned the Trojans one of two at-large berths in the State Regional field — and Friday’s performance showed why.
Kimberly served as one of four host sites for the 4A State Regional round. Filer was also among those hosting series play this weekend. The Bulldogs, however, found out quickly what Homedale brings to the table.
Homedale sophomore pitcher Mason Taylor was the story of the afternoon, holding Kimberly to three hits and just one run across six innings while striking out five Bulldogs. He surrendered only two walks during his outing. Taylor’s command and ability to pitch out of trouble kept Kimberly’s offense in check for most of the contest.
Kimberly senior MacRaye Bruning started on the mound for the Bulldogs and pitched the full game. He gave up eight hits — tying his season high for hits allowed in a single appearance — though his struggles were less a product of poor command than of Homedale making solid, timely contact. Bruning still notched six strikeouts and issued just two walks, keeping the deficit from growing further. The eight hits he allowed Friday matched his most in any game this season across eight appearances.
Trojans Find the Gaps; Bulldogs Manage Only a First-Inning Run
Kimberly’s lone run came in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Brett Florence reached on a walk and later crossed the plate after a sacrifice fly by senior MacRaye Bruning. Florence’s score was one of just two Homedale surrenders on the afternoon.
Third baseman Zane O’Toole had a solid individual performance for Kimberly, collecting two singles. Florence added a hit of his own. But the Bulldogs managed to do little else against Taylor, who proved difficult to solve.
Homedale’s offense was efficient rather than flashy. Three of the Trojans’ eight hits went for extra bases. Senior Carson Fine contributed the game’s only home run — his third of the season — in the fifth inning. Fellow senior Wylee Bidiman followed with a triple in the same frame. Lukas Hall joined Bidiman and Fine with multi-hit games, giving Homedale three players reaching base multiple times.
The Trojans consistently put the ball in play and punished gaps in the field when opportunities arose, converting timely hits into the majority of their six runs.
The victory puts Homedale one win from advancing to the 2026 4A State Tournament.
Kimberly Must Win Twice to Advance; Pitching Options Remain
With the loss, Kimberly faces a steep climb. Taylor’s pitch count rules him out for the remainder of the series under high school pitch limits, which gives the Bulldogs some hope heading into a potential must-win situation.
Homedale is expected to turn to Hall, who leads the team’s pitching staff in innings and carries a 2.41 ERA this season with 50 strikeouts. His only two losses this year came against Fruitland — the No. 1 seed in the tournament — and Cole Valley Christian, the No. 4 seed.
The Bulldogs have shown resilience before. Kimberly has not dropped consecutive games since a three-game skid early in the season, and the team averaged more than 18 runs per game in the contests immediately following that stretch. Head coach Jeremy Walker will need to draw on that offensive depth and tap his available pitching to keep the Bulldogs’ postseason alive.
The series between Kimberly and Homedale is one to watch closely for Magic Valley baseball fans. Kimberly’s softball program recently captured another 4A District 4 crown, and the baseball team has its own postseason ambitions to defend.
What Comes Next
Game two of the best-of-three series is scheduled to follow Friday’s result, with Kimberly needing a victory to force a decisive third game. A Homedale win in game two would end the Bulldogs’ season and send the Trojans to the 4A State Tournament. Coverage of additional Magic Valley postseason action can be found at Idaho News and across the Idaho News Network.