Lakeland eliminated, but proud of season

For “the team that wasn’t supposed to be there,” Lakeland acquitted itself quite well at the State 4A softball tournament.

The Hawks, who committed seven errors in a loss to Minico on Thursday, played nearly perfect defense Friday, but again came up just short and were eliminated in a 2-0 loss to Blackfoot (18-6).

In Friday’s only other completed game on the rain-soaked fields at Post Falls High School, Pocatello (18-10) ousted Jerome 10-7 in eight innings. The Tigers finish their season 21-12.

In the winners bracket Friday, Moscow (9-15) and Bishop Kelly (14-13) were scoreless in the second inning and Minico (16-11) held a 1-0 lead on Kuna (17-11) in the third before both games were halted due to rain. Those contests are scheduled to resume at 8 a.m. today. The tournament’s remaining games are scheduled to begin in two-hour increments beginning at 10 a.m. with the first championship game slated for 4 p.m.

Lakeland and Blackfoot both enjoyed strong pitching and defense as the game went scoreless and errorless through six innings.

The tale was told in top of the seventh, however, when the Hawks allowed the first two Broncos batters reach on tough errors.

After a close play at third on a fielder’s choice loaded the bases, Lakeland ace Jaymi Fyfe walked Blackfoot right fielder Jordan Buck on four pitches to force in the game-winning run. Third baseman Kami Bartauski added insurance with a run-scoring groundout two batters later.

The Hawks, who went one-two-three in the bottom of the seventh, finished with three hits and the Broncos two.

Lakeland coach Colleen Nave had a hard time faulting her team’s effort.

“The girls played awesome defense today, and they just looked really good,” Nave said. “The cards just fell the way they did.

“I’m just really excited that the girls came out and played their hearts out.”

Fyfe, one of just three seniors on the Hawks’ roster, had a smile on her face throughout the tournament and her countenance was no different after the loss.

“It was just huge to us to make it to state,” Fyfe said. “We won at districts and went all the way down to Fruitland to get here.

“Our team unity was awesome this year, and we played so well … I’m just really proud of our team.”

Nave, who finishes 13-14 in her first season as head coach at Lakeland after three years in Potlatch, echoed the sentiment.

“It’s a just been great seeing the girls grow throughout the season,” said Nave, who overcame the daunting task of taking the Hawks from the 3As to the 4As this season. “We won games as a team and we lost games as a team – it wasn’t like we had one superstar.

“And that’s something to be proud of – it takes a lot to actually work as a team.”

Sophomore Ashley Bridge, one of a huge crop of young Hawks that will return next season, gave Nave her props.

“I think she should be very proud of herself,” Bridge said. “It’s her first year coaching us and she took us to state.

“That’s really saying something.”