Allred hurls Timberlake to state
Timberlake ace Kala Allred had a couple of reasons to crack a wry smile when she threw the last pitch of Saturday’s 3A District I championship game.
The pitch – a nasty changeup – gave the Tigers the 4-0 win over St. Maries and with it their fifth straight district title.
It also gave Allred her 17th strikeout of the contest, matching a career high.
Timberlake (20-6) advances to the 3A state tournament beginning Thursday at Ward Field in Pocatello.
St. Maries bounced back to defeat Kellogg 7-4 in the second-place game, scoring three runs in the fifth, including a solo home run by Sheena Michael, to break a 4-all tie and earn the Lumberjacks (12-12) their ticket to Pocatello.
In the first elimination game, Kellogg scored 11 runs in the fourth inning to erase a 13-2 deficit and went on to defeat Priest River 18-17 in eight innings.
But the day belonged to Allred and the Tigers.
“It’s our last game on this field, so it just feels good to go out and win,” said Allred, who struck out the side in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings, and was in trouble really only once, when the Lumberjacks loaded the bases with two out in the sixth.
She responded to the adversity with another strikeout.
“I wasn’t worried,” Allred said. “I just had to do my job. We had two outs, so if the ball got in play, I knew my team would do the job for me.”
Michael matched Allred with three hits allowed, but she walked eight, four of which came around to score.
In the second-place game, Kellogg jumped on top early when cleanup hitter Christina Turbak blasted a three-run homer over the left-field fence in the first, but the Wildcats, who finished the season 10-13, may have been worn out from the nearly four-hour comeback against Priest River.
In that contest, the Spartans, after blowing the 11-run lead and then falling behind by two runs, seemed to have righted the ship by pulling ahead 17-15 with four runs in the top of the seventh.
The Wildcats, however, tied it with two in the bottom half and winning it in the eighth when Kirsten Viche, on second for the tiebreaker, scored on an error after Kaela Calabretta’s sacrifice.
Priest River ended its season 7-16.
Intermountain League officials announced year-end awards.
The All-IML team comprises Most Valuable Player Kala Allred, Brittany Amende, Afton Allred, Holli Edelblute, Anastasia Graham and Alicia Barrowcliff of Timberlake; Sam Siron and Doris Sines of St. Maries; Christina Turbak, Bridgett Lund and Stephanie Brunner of Kellogg; and Cate Johnson of Priest River.
Receiving honorable mention were Nina Harm and Ami Dittman of Bonners Ferry; Cody James and Lauren Stewart of Kellogg; Sheena Michael, Katie Felix and Michelle Guidry of St. Maries; and Megan Hill of Timberlake.
Priest River’s John Mulalley was named IML coach of the year.