Lumberjacks defeat Buhl; will play Bear Lake for third place today

BUHL, Idaho – St. Maries will have a little extra luggage in their bus; a state softball trophy.

St. Maries defeated host Buhl 4-2 Friday evening to advance to the third-place game at 9 a.m. PDT today against Bear Lake.

St. Maries, playing in its first-ever state softball tournament, can finish no worse than third.

Timberlake lost to Marsh Valley 4-3 Friday morning, ending its season.

Head coach Cory Stapleton said the 21-5 Lumberjacks knew they faced a tough Buhl pitcher coming in. Making contact was key, something Timberlake failed to do Thursday.

“We put the ball in play all day today,” he said. “We had to make them make plays.”

St. Maries went ahead with two outs, both strikeouts, in the top of the fifth. Senior Erika Lehman and senior shortstop Rachelle Solom both stroked singles to set up a two-run knock into the left-center field gap by junior Kelsi Lee.

Buhl senior Whitney Ordonez struck out nine Lumberjacks in her final high school game. She struck out 31 Friday in 22 innings of work. Her 16 in seven innings on Thursday gave her a two-day total of 47, easily breaking the state tournament record of 39 set by Bishop Kelly’s Kate Connelly in 1999 and 2000, according to the Idaho High School Activities Association program.

Marsh Valley 4, Timberlake 3

Marsh Valley generated a run off two-straight bunts to score the winning run in the top of the sixth inning and end Timberlake’s season.

Ashley Thompson and Dana Howe both legged out bunt singles. An out later, Tiffany Montoya hit an RBI single to score both runners.

Bear Lake 2, St. Maries 1

In a battle of youngsters on the mound, sophomore Karen Packham and the Bear Lake Bears defeated freshman Rachel Kennedy and the St. Maries Lumberjacks 2-1.

Packham had five strikeouts, issued six walks and gave up five hits for Bear Lake.

Kennedy of St. Maries has three strikeouts and no walks but allowed eight hits.

St. Maries 4, Marsh Valley 3

St. Maries defeated Marsh Valley in a loser out game 4-3.

The Lumberjacks scored two runs in the sixth inning to take the lead 4-3 on a double by Rayna Eisses after a pair of singles by Kristi Eisses and Sam Siron. Rayna Eisses was 2 for 4 with two doubles.