Area Teams Start State 3 For 3 Lake City, Sandpoint, Cda Teams Find Ways To Win Softball Openers

Lake City High School used pitching. Sandpoint relied on guts. Coeur d’Alene went hit crazy.

All three won.

North Idaho teams went 3-0 on Thursday’s opening day at the State A-1 fastpitch softball tournament at Ramsey Park.

Lake City was jittery, but sophomore hurler Courtney Zimmerman fired a three-hitter in a 2-1 victory over Capital.

Sandpoint put together a comeback to defeat Eagle 7-5, overcoming a 3-0 deficit after one inning.

And Coeur d’Alene crammed a week’s worth of offense into a 22-5 pasting of Idaho Falls.

The wins set up intriguing matchups today. LC (18-4) faces Centennial (22-6) at noon in a rematch of last year’s title game won by the Patriots. Also at noon, Sandpoint (8-10) and CdA (15-12) collide for the seventh time this season. CdA won five of the previous six.

The 10 a.m. games pit Twin Falls (20-9), a 7-1 loser to Centennial, against Capital (13-13), and Eagle (18-9) versus Idaho Falls (18-8).

Lake City 2, Capital 1

The Timberwolves faced two opponents - their nerves and Capital.

“Everyone was just way too tight,” LC outfielder Jenny Owen said. “We never got our game going at all. We had it (nerves) last year at state, too. Hopefully we can grow out of it.”

LC’s high-powered offense only appeared in one inning. Even then, the T-Wolves didn’t exactly sting the ball.

Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Owen sprayed a ball just fair down the right-field line. She hustled into second when the ball spun into foul territory, eluding the right fielder. Owen then swiped third, forcing Capital to move in its infield to try to prevent the tying run.

That became a factor when Kim Budvarson’s blooper landed just behind the shortstop and between a trio of Capital defenders. Owen scored to tie it 1-1.

Kari Wilson eventually lined a single to center to plate Laura Tolzmann with the go-ahead run.

That was just enough support for Zimmerman, who fanned eight. She struck out three of Capital’s last four batters and didn’t allow an Eagle past first base after the fourth inning.

The Timberwolves had just four hits - all in the fourth. In the sixth, LC had runners at second and third with no outs, but failed to score.

Sandpoint 7, Eagle 5

The Bulldogs pecked away at an early three-run deficit, but kept stopping themselves. Sandpoint scored once in the fourth, but couldn’t convert for more with the bases loaded and only one out.

In the fifth, Tami Owens stroked an RBI single, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Two more Bulldogs reached base before the inning ended.

Finally, the Bulldogs pulled ahead 4-3 in the sixth on Mackenzie Ferguson’s two-out, two-run double. Capital pulled even in the bottom of the sixth, but Sandpoint struck for three in the seventh as Stacie Hartmann’s double drove in a pair.

“I knew the bats would come around,” Sandpoint coach Jeff Clark said. “I was so proud of Mackenzie. We had a lot of key hits.”

Clark’s daughter, Crystal, provided some key pitching. She settled down after surrendering three runs in the first.

Shortstop Leah Free made several nice defensive plays.

Coeur d’Alene 22, Idaho Falls 5

The Vikings scored at least one run in every inning en route to a season-high run total.

Amber Orr cranked a triple in the first inning and finished with two hits. Amy Maurer and Christie Babcock each had three hits and Katlynne Tatum smoked a double and single as the Viks piled up 15 hits.

Add in 10 walks and five Idaho Falls errors and the Viks’ third-base coach wore out his arm waving runners home. CdA scored 13 runs in the fifth inning to end the game due to the 10-run rule.

CdA had a brief defensive lapse in the third inning as Idaho Falls closed within 6-5. But Babcock’s two-run single in the fourth re-ignited the offense.

Looking ahead to today’s meeting with Inland Empire League rival Sandpoint, Viking coach Larry Bieber said, “We played two one-run games, two two-run games and two three-run games. It’s going to be a good one.”

Centennial 7, Twin Falls 1

Centennial junior pitcher Katrina Nelson yielded just four hits and four underclassmen - Crissie Bacon, Whitney Hall, Krista Clements and Kolee Galeazzi - divided up eight hits.

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