T-wolves gain national notice

Lake City’s local dominance is starting to catch national attention.

The Timberwolves (20-0) are ranked No. 3 nationally by Maxpreps.com, a first for an Idaho team, according to LC coach Laura Tolzmann.

LC is 4-0 against defending 5A State champion Coeur d’Alene, having outscored the Vikings 44-3. The Timberwolves will host the 5A regional, which begins Tuesday.

“We have been hitting solid throughout the lineup,” Tolzmann said. “ Casey Stangel has been pitching a great season so far.”

Stangel, a Missouri recruit, is 20-0 with an earned-run average of 0.82, with 154 strikeouts in 103 innings. Her four-year record is 85-9.

Stangel is also hitting .703 with 10 homers, 49 RBIs and a team-high 17 doubles.

LC has four other players hitting better than .500: Vanessa Shippy, .782; JaeCie Wilson, .567; Lindsey Willmon, .556; and Amy Welsh, .534. Willmon leads the team with 12 homers and 52 RBIs while Shippy has a team-best 55 runs.

Tolzmann said the road to a state title will require “taking each game one at a time, and competing and playing with passion.”

GSL finishes up

Greater Spokane League play wraps up today. The focus then shifts to postseason, starting Wednesday at Whitworth University.

The league splits into 4A and 3A districts with different routes to regional play. All four 3A teams automatically qualify for regional and use the district tournament for seeding. Only two of four 4A teams will advance beyond district to regional.

Both district championship games are scheduled for Thursday: 3 p.m. for the 3A and 5 for the 4A.

Postseason play begins Tuesday for Washington 2A, 1A and 2B teams and Idaho 5A and 4A teams.

A first for Kellogg

Kellogg won its first Intermountain League title by sweeping Timberlake 12-11, 16-15 last Saturday. The sweep gave Kellogg the No. 1 seed to the 3A District I tournament, which began Thursday with Kellogg and Timberlake winning.

Timberlake had won eight consecutive league titles.

Craig Turbak has been Kellogg’s coach since the program started 13 years ago.

Kellogg’s softball program was almost eliminated two years ago when the district was prepared to slash spring sports because of budget concerns. The community’s response forced the district to reverse its decision.

Highlights

Riverside’s Kathy Hunt (14-2) doubled, homered and struck out seven in the opener and Newport’s Chaleigh Kirkwood hit a three-run homer in the second game as host Riverside swept Newport 14-4, 13-3 on Monday. … Jordyn Soliday went 3 for 3 with two triples and a homer as host Liberty defeated Reardan 12-3 in the first game of a doubleheader sweep on Saturday. … Dara Kolar went 4 for 4 with three runs and three RBIs as Post Falls held off host Lakeland 8-7 at Rathdrum on April 25. The same day, Kirby Anderson pitched a one-hitter in the opener and re-entered in the second game to pick up the win as Selkirk swept host Reardan 4-0, 12-1. Anderson struck out 12 on the day.