Cda, Sandpoint Split Doubleheader

The closer Inland Empire League baseball teams get to the end of the regular season, the more bizarre things seem to get.

Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene played a doubleheader Tuesday at McEuen Field and the resulting split did nothing to settle seeding for next week’s regional tournament.

Coeur d’Alene took the opener 4-2 while Sandpoint salvaged a split with a 5-3 win in a wild finish in the nightcap.

The Vikings remain in last place in the league at 5-9, 10-11 overall, while Sandpoint moved into fourth at 6-10 and 10-12.

Settling which teams finish fourth and fifth is critical to getting into the four-team regional tournament next week. The fifth-place finisher will travel to the fourth-place team in a loser-out game Tuesday. The winner advances to the regional tourney.

CdA can pull itself out of last place Friday when it visits Lake City (6-8). Post Falls, currently in second at 7-7, finishes play Saturday at first-place Lewiston (12-2).

Sandpoint jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second game before CdA rallied in the fourth inning to tie it at 3-all.

The game remained tied going into the seventh. Sandpoint scored two runs in the inning, one on a critical balk and the other on a double steal, to take a 5-3 lead.

In its final at-bat, CdA loaded the bases with no outs. A walk pulled the Viks within one and kept the bases loaded with no outs.

But then a CdA groundball started a home-to-first double play. Then Sandpoint shortstop Josh Herrington made a dazzling defensive play for the third out to secure the split.

In other games, Lakeland left-handed pitcher Brett DeBoer tossed his second no-hitter of the season as the visiting Hawks trounced Priest River 16-0 in the Intermountain League.

At Moscow, the host Bears, behind the strong pitching of Gil Pierce, downed St. Maries 7-3.

DeBoer, who threw a no-hitter against Bonners Ferry earlier in the season, was nearly perfect against the Spartans. He struck out nine, had no walks but hit one batter.

Lakeland moved to 10-0 in league, 16-2 overall. Priest River fell to 1-8, 5-10.

Moscow secured second place and moved to 5-2 and 13-9. St. Maries is 5-5, 7-8.

Soccer

In first-round, loser-out games in the North Idaho Cup, host Coeur d’Alene downed Bonners Ferry 5-2 while Moscow handled visiting Lewiston 10-1.

Brett Fink had two goals and five saves in goal to lead the Viks. CdA travels to No. 2 seed Sandpoint on Thursday at 7 p.m., while Moscow visits No. 1 Lake City at 5. Thursday’s winners advance to the Cup championship match Saturday at Sandpoint.

Track

Lake City’s boys and Coeur d’Alene’s girls scored team victories in a triangular meet at Lake City.

LC’s boys tallied 82.5 points to edge Post Falls (76.5). Coeur d’Alene finished with 25.

The CdA girls, meanwhile, posted 65 points to trip Post Falls (59.5). LC finished with 32.5.

Chris Gossett led LC with wins in the 1,600 meter and 3,200 races. Lisa Dalhberg had four victories (triple jump, long jump, 100 and 200) to highlight the Vik win.

In an Intermountain League dual at Rathdrum, Lakeland’s talented jumper Jim Noble had three personal bests in three jumps to lead the Hawks past Priest River 107-39.

In a closer meet, the Hawk girls received double wins by Sarah DeBoer (both hurdles) and Teresa Viebrock (high and long jump) to beat the Spartans 78-59.

Softball

Coeur d’Alene moved into a second-place tie with Post Falls when it salvaged a split with everimproving Sandpoint.

Visiting Sandpoint took the opener 7-6 before the Viks captured the nightcap 8-5 at McEuen Field.

Second place and a host berth in the first round of the regional tournament will be on the line today when Post Falls visits CdA for a single game at 4.

CdA is 7-6 in league, 11-9 overall. Sandpoint is 5-9, 9-11.

In an Intermountain League game at Rathdrum, league-leading Lakeland, behind a no-hitter by Monica Hall, blanked Priest River 17-0. St. Maries slipped past host Moscow 15-13.