Viks Repeat As League Champs

The Coeur d’Alene High softball team’s timing was impeccable Thursday.

Coeur d’Alene did what few Inland Empire League teams have done this season (except against winless Sandpoint).

The Vikings swept crosstown rival Lake City 10-0 and 16-6 in a pair of run-rule shortened games to capture their second straight league championship.

It also means CdA will play at home during the Region I state-qualifying tournament and will host the final day of the tourney when the league’s lone state berth will be decided.

Had CdA and Lake City split, the door would have been left open for Lewiston to win the league title.

Keeping with the timing theme, the Vikings played their best ball of the season.

Pitcher Blake Hoorelbeke scattered six hits in a 63-minute shutout and tossed another six-hitter in the second game.

And the Viks pelted the Timberwolves with 25 hits in the doubleheader, 17 in the second game.

“We’ve got momentum,” said CdA coach Larry Bieber, whose team (15-8 overall, 12-4 in league) is off until Tuesday when it opens regional play against the winner of a loser-out playoff involving Sandpoint and a team to be determined. “The kids are hitting the ball hard. At times it’s been feast or famine for us.”

If that’s the case, the Viks were gluttons Thursday.

LC appeared to come to life in the fifth inning of the second game, trimming CdA’s lead to 8-6 with three runs.

But CdA sent 12 batters to the plate moments later, scoring eight runs on six hits and two errors to end the game via the 10-run rule.

With bases loaded, one out and the Viks needing one run to clinch the league title, Bieber inserted a pinch hitter. Heather Hull, in her first appearance in the doubleheader, chopped a run-scoring single through the middle.

“I really like the things our role players did,” Bieber said.

The bottom of the Viks’ lineup in both games wasn’t too shabby either. Hitters 7-8-9 - Selena Latiti, Tara Lenz, Stacey Weber - collected eight hits.

“They were the ones who were scoring against us,” said LC coach Dwight Wilson, whose team dropped to 12-9, 7-7.

That was just part of the problem for LC, though.

CdA’s Kelli Babcock had four hits and three RBIs and Hoorelbeke had four hits and five RBIs. Two other Viks had three hits and four others had two hits apiece.

“Did you watch the game?” Wilson quizzed a reporter before he could ask a question. “What can I tell you. We didn’t field very many (balls). We didn’t support our pitchers.”

LC is at Post Falls (11-10, 8-6) today in a key doubleheader that will decide third and fourth seeding at regionals. The No. 3 seed will have to travel to No. 2 Lewiston on Tuesday.

Lewiston (14-8, 9-5) finishes league Saturday with a doubleheader at Sandpoint (0-22, 0-14).

“If we practiced like that it wouldn’t hurt so bad,” Wilson said. “But the thing I like right now is they’re out there (huddled in right field) talking together. They’ve got pride. We were in this position last year and it came out OK.”

Wilson was alluding to CdA winning the league, but LC bouncing back to knock off the Viks in the regional title game.

In a non-league game at Post Falls, Lakeland stopped the Trojans 12-0 in a run-rule shortened game.

No other details were reported.

Washington softball

Cheryl Andrizzi (14-0) and Megan Owen combined on a three-hitter as U-Hi (14-1, 13-0) defeated visiting Mt. Spokane 9-0 for its 13th consecutive win this year and 30th consecutive GSL win.

Owen and Vanessa Shelton were both 3 for 4 with two runs, and combined for five stolen bases. The Wildcats are 3-10, 3-9.

Dorthea Gooch stole four bases as Shadle (9-5, 9-4) defeated visiting NC 6-1 at Franklin Park. The Indians (3-11, 3-10) lost top hitter Stacy Fisher to a knee injury in the second inning.

Washington baseball

Eric Sandberg tied the GSL’s single-season record with his eighth homer, a grand slam, as visiting Ferris (13-2, 12-1) posted a 16-0, five-inning win over Gonzaga Prep (6-9, 6-7).

Sandberg tied the record of G-Prep’s Steve Gleason (1995) and LC’s Richie Long (‘86). He has five games to break the record.

Chris Schuchart, Marques Molett and Steve Socha also homered to support Sandberg (5-1), who struck out 10 and allowed one hit, Zach Yarbrough’s single in the second. The Saxons have hit 25 homers this year.

Sam Hess tied another GSL record with his fifth triple, and Dan Thigpen (3-0) struck out seven and walked none as Mead (11-4, 10-3) defeated visiting LC 10-0 in five innings.