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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Vikings win way into title game, but fall 2-0 to Eagle in 5A finale

Jared Eborn Correspondent

POCATELLO — This bridesmaid thing is getting old.

For the sixth time in seven years, Coeur d’Alene coach Larry Bieber was the guy forced to give a congratulatory speech to the state champions while picking up his second-place trophy.

Eagle, as close to a softball dynasty as Idaho has, made the Vikings the hard-luck story once again with a 2-0 win to capture their third straight 5A championship and fourth in five years.

“We’re right there,” Bieber said. “We’re just half a step short.”

The Vikings, who entered the Idaho 5A softball tournament with a perfect 25-0 record, closed out the season with a 29-2 mark. That’s respectable by all counts, but both of the losses came to Eagle in the double-elimination playoffs.

In those loses, Coeur d’Alene’s offense went AWOL. Pitcher Heather Helmhout got just four hits combined in the games and was unable to make her otherwise solid pitching performance stand up.

“Of course it’s frustrating,” Helmhout said. “We were all having a hard time getting the ball down on the ground. Instead, we hit it in the air a lot.”

The Mustangs were led by pitcher Rebekah Tsatsa. The junior pitched every inning of every game for the 28-3 Eagle squad and hamstrung the Vikings with a variety of high fastballs designed to prevent Coeur d’Alene from manufacturing a bevy of runs.

She also took advantage of a Vikings team that was tired after winning two games earlier in the day to force the championship game.

Coeur d’Alene eliminated Timberline with a 2-0 win as Samantha Ritzheimer and Jenna DeLong each had an RBI.

DeLong then took the mound in the first game against Eagle and came out with a 3-2 win as a Ritzheimer double was followed by a DeLong RBI single in the first. CdA scored again in the second as Jackie Lenz scored off an Eagle throwing error.

After Eagle evened the score in the sixth, Lenz stroked an RBI double to score DeLong who had singled to lead off the inning.

Game Three on Saturday was more challenging for the Vikings.

With Helmhout back on the pitching rubber, the Vikings’ bats went silent again. Though Jessyca Le hit a double in the second, she was unable to score despite the bases eventually being loaded with two outs.

The Vikings’ only other scoring opportunity came as Sarah Wallace opened the sixth with a bunt single and advanced to third on a throwing error with one out. Tsatsa made quick work of the Vikings, though, and escaped unharmed.

“When we started the year we knew we’d be pretty young. We just wanted to qualify for state and see what happened,” Bieber said. “29-2 is a pretty good record in a rebuilding year.”

With only four seniors leaving the team, Coeur d’Alene is hoping for an eighth straight trip to the championship game in 2005. The only thing they want changed is to get their trophy last and hear someone else give that congratulatory speech.