Vikings, T-Wolves Eliminated

Zero-for-2 isn’t a good statistic for a softball hitter. Zero-for-2 on a softball team’s record can end a season.

Coeur d’Alene and Lake City both went 0-for-2 on Friday and made early exits from the State A-1 girls fastpitch tournament at Ramsey Park.

Coeur d’Alene was swamped by Eagle 15-3, then eliminated by Idaho Falls 4-0.

“We had a lot of defensive lapses,” CdA coach Larry Bieber said, “and our bats went into a coma.”

Lake City fell to odds-on favorite Centennial 7-5 and was bounced by Twin Falls 9-6.

“We had so many errors I’m afraid to look” at the scorebook, LC coach Dwight Wilson said.

Centennial of Meridian is the lone unbeaten in the double-elimination tourney. After disposing of Lake City, the Patriots muzzled Eagle 6-0 in the semis.

Twin Falls (26-7), which won three games on Friday, faces Eagle (21-8) at 10 a.m. for the right to meet Centennial (28-2) at noon. If Centennial loses, a second game would be held at 2.

Neither North Idaho entry placed in the top four. LC fin ished 12-12; Coeur d’Alene 20-7.

Lake City falls

The Timberwolves were outhit and outfielded by the swift Patriots, who pressure opponents with aggressive base running.

Allison Gerzina’s two-run triple in the fourth pulled LC into a 2-2 tie, but Centennial responded with three runs. Jessica Yocum’s third single of the game drove in the tiebreaker. Whitney Hall added a two-run single.

The T-Wolves closed within 5-4 when Shelby McIntosh’s single scored Kim Koll and Jill Ashkinos in the fifth. Centennial answered again as two LC errors helped bring in two runs.

Centennial has defeated LC four times at state the past three years.

“I think we were a little intimidated,” LC coach Wilson said. “We didn’t have much fire.”

Or, as Koll put it, “We were here, but we kind of weren’t here. But I’m proud of our team just for making state.”

Twin Falls put LC into a 4-0 firstinning hole on Emily Irish’s threerun homer. The T-Wolves trailed 9-2 before a four-run seventh.

Gerzina capped a six-hit tournament with three hits. Kim Budvarson added two.

Coeur d’Alene slips

The Vikings had four errors and just three hits against Eagle, which belted 16 singles. The game was stopped in the sixth because of the 10-run rule.

Eagle’s Amy Dancer had three hits, scored four runs and knocked in three. CdA’s offense was silent other than Patti Stranger’s triple, Tara Lenz’s double and Blake Hoorelbeke’s single.

Amber Orr had the Viks’ lone hit against Idaho Falls, which played sparkling defense.

The Tigers lost to CdA 22-5 in last year’s state opener.

“We were a first-year program (then) and we didn’t know what we were up against,” IF coach Mike Durrant said.

Patriots in command

Courtney Todd pitched complete games in both Centennial wins. Lake City managed six hits and scored five runs on Todd, but four were unearned. Todd permitted only one single against Eagle.

Elsewhere, Twin Falls, which lost to Coeur d’Alene 13-3 on Thursday, got its offense on track and scored 29 runs in Friday’s three wins.

Idaho Falls (22-11) settled for fourth place after losing to Twin Falls 9-6.

Centennial 7, Lake City 5

Lake City 000 221 0 - 5 6 6

Centennial 011 320 x - 7 11 4

Zimmerman and Koll; Todd and Bacon. W-Todd. L-Zimmerman.

HITS: Lake City-Koll, Ashkinos, Gerzina, Johnson, McIntosh, Carpenter. Centennial-Yocum 3, Bacon, Nelson 2, Hall 2, Todd, Galeazzi, Jensen. 2B-Carpenter. 3B-Gerzina.

Eagle 15, Coeur d’Alene 3

Eagle 140 244 x - 15 16 0

CdA 001 110 x - 3 3 4

Hansen, Dawson (5) and Rostberg; Ballinger, C. Babcock (6) and K. Babcock. W-Hansen. L-Ballinger.

HITS: Eagle-Dancer 3, Rosti 2, Nichols 2, LeBeau 2, Simpson 2, Gaythwaite 3. Coeur d’Alene-P. Stranger, Lenz, Hoorelbeke. 2B-Lenz. 3B-P. Stranger.

Idaho Falls 4, Coeur d’Alene 0

Idaho Falls 101 100 1 - 4 9 2

CdA 000 000 0 - 0 1 3

Miles and Cellan; Hoorelbeke and K. Babcock. W- Miles. L- Hoorelbeke.

HITS: Idaho Falls-Miles, Cellan 2, Kraayenbrink, Liu 2, Palmer, Scott, Francis. Coeur d’Alene-Orr. 2B-Cellan, Liu. 3B-Kraayenbrink, Cellan.

Twin Falls 9, Lake City 6

Lake City 002 000 4 - 6 10 3

Twin Falls 404 100 x - 9 9 2

Barnes, Zimmerman (4) and Koll; Edwards and Leiva. W-Edwards. L-Barnes.

HITS: Lake City-Budvarson 2, Baker, Herbert, Gerzina 3, Carpenter, Johnson, Ashkinos. Twin Falls-Gubica 2, Edwards 2, Irish 2, Blackwood, Palmer, Leiva, Piazza. 3B-Irish. HR-Irish.

Centennial 6, Eagle 0

Centennial 210 012 0 - 6 9 1

Eagle 000 000 0 - 0 1 0

Todd and Bacon; Hansen, Halcomb (3) and Rostberg. W-Todd. L-Hansen.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo