Lc, Lakeland Win Region Tourneys
Idaho prep softball
It was business as usual for Lake City senior pitcher Kelly Nelson, as the Timberwolves mowed down Coeur d’Alene 12-1 in the championship game of the A-1 Region I Softball Tournament.
The right-handed Nelson dominated the Vikings on both sides of the ball on a sunny Saturday at Lake City.
Nelson (14-1) allowed one hit and struck out four. Offensively, she was one of four Timberwolves with two hits, including a triple and a double.
Afterwards, it was time for a traditional postgame meal.
“Mom, where’s the cookies?” Nelson asked immediately following the game.
“My dad baked cookies for us,” explained Nelson who plans to pitch for Dartmouth next season. “Our whole team loves them.”
It took Lake City (23-3) just an hour to stop its crosstown rival in a game called after 4 1/2 innings via the 10-run rule.
“I think we played our best ball the last two games of the tournament,” Timberwolves coach Dwight Wilson said. “We’re getting to the point where we’re capable of playing like this all the time. We had our hitting shoes on today.”
Coeur d’Alene then waited almost 2 hours, as Lewiston held off Post Falls 7-6 in a loser-out game at Ramsey Park.
That win ensured a state tournament berth for the Bengals (12-15) who rallied past the Vikings 6-5 in a seeding game to determine the No. 2 and No. 3 state-seeding positions. First-round state games start Thursday in Caldwell.
Lake City 12, CdA 1
It was all Lake City in the title game. The Vikings hit one ball out of the infield, as catcher Jessica Varney singled to lead off the fifth and spoil Nelson’s bid for a perfect game.
The Timberwolves collected five of their 11 hits in a seven-run third which made it 10-0. The big hit belonged to shortstop Tonya McLeod, a two-out grand slam home run.
“(McLeod) got a hold of that (pitch),” Nelson said. “That put a damper on them.”
Lake City closed the door in the fourth with a two-run homer by Sherrie Holzer.
“We almost should have played slowpitch defense against them,” Coeur d’Alene coach Larry Bieber said. “(The Timberwolves are) playing really well now.”
Lewiston 6, CdA 5
Lewiston opened a 4-0 lead on the Vikings (14-13) in the second inning.
But Coeur d’Alene surged ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the third, connecting on four of its seven hits.
Lewiston pulled even in the fourth, as pitcher Tara Sanchez (6-5) singled home the tying run.
The Bengals’ go-ahead run came in the seventh. Left fielder Christy Newmann tripled to center to lead off, then scored when Kari Carpenter hit into a fielder’s choice.
Coeur d’Alene went down in order in the sixth and seventh, with Newmann involved in three of those putouts.
Lewiston 7, Post Falls 6
Post Falls finished 7-17, but not without a fight. The Trojans scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh against the Bengals.
A-2 District I-II
Lakeland scored four runs in the top of the eighth to turn back Moscow 7-3 in the championship game at St. Maries.
The Hawks upped their record to 20-5.
The host Lumberjacks (17-4) managed to eliminate Moscow 4-2 and gain the North’s second berth to this week’s state tournament in Fruitland.
“Lakeland is a really good team,” St. Maries coach Todd Gilkey said. “They’ve got two good pitchers. Their defense is solid. I hope the next time we face Lakeland is for the state title.
Earlier in the day, Lakeland dumped Bonners Ferry 12-1. Moscow advanced with a 9-8 victory over St. Maries.
In a loser-out game, St. Maries sophomore Brianne Badgett threw a one-hitter in a 10-0 victory over Bonners Ferry (6-12).
And Badgett (13-2) yielded just three hits to the Bears (9-15) in the rematch.
“(Badgett) pitched her two best games of the year, both were pressure-packed,” Gilkey said.