Vikings take pair
It takes some doing to make a strike-‘em-out, throw-‘em-out conclusion to a softball game seem anticlimactic, but the Coeur d’Alene Vikings just might have done so on a wild Friday at the State 5A tournament.
The Vikings won two close contests, topping Eagle 1-0 in 10 innings – thanks in part to a kind bounce after a wild pitch – and later edging Borah 2-1 at Post Falls High to move within one win of repeating as state champions.
Neither victory came easy. The Vikings were in deep trouble against Eagle as pitcher Jenna DeLong and Mustang counterpart Joni Cook engaged in an entertaining duel. Under tiebreaker rules in extra innings, the offense starts with a runner at second base. Eagle’s Alyssa Fiscus moved to third on a passed ball with no outs in the bottom of the ninth.
DeLong struck out the next two batters, but then uncorked a wild pitch. Fiscus broke for home, but the ball hit the boards at the base of the backstop and bounced back to catcher Lauren Horton. She quickly flipped the ball to DeLong, who applied the tag on Fiscus, ending the inning.
“I told the girls that when I’m in my hospital bed some day and the nurse is checking on me, I’m going to be asking, ‘Do you remember that play at home?’ ” Coeur d’Alene coach Larry Bieber said.
Not far behind in Bieber’s memory bank will be the ending to CdA’s next win. Borah had trimmed CdA’s lead to 2-1 with a run in the sixth and had a runner on first with one out in the seventh. DeLong took care of the batter with her 14th strikeout and Horton took care of the runner, throwing out Brianna Hessing as she tried to steal second.
CdA (27-2) awaits the winner of today’s 10 a.m. game between Eagle (25-5) and Borah (17-10). The unbeaten Vikings have the luxury of an if-necessary game if they lose in the noon title game.
Eagle battled back to eliminate Twin Falls (8-6 in 12 innings) and Meridian (6-4).
CdA 1, Eagle 0: DeLong and Cook were nearly unhittable. Through seven innings, no Mustangs advanced past first base and Eagle managed just two base-runners – one via a walk and Cook reached on a hot grounder that scooted past the second baseman. It was ruled a hit by the official scorer – the only one permitted by DeLong.
Cook quieted CdA’s bats, allowing only two singles through nine innings.
Then came the Vikings’ escape act in the bottom of the ninth.
“I heard the ball clank off the backboard and it popped straight back at me,” Horton said. “Thankfully it did, because otherwise we would have lost that game. I love that board, that’s all I can say.”
In CdA’s half of the 10th, Lindsey Stark’s sacrifice bunt attempt not only moved Jessica Kraft from second to third, but Stark reached safely when third baseman Julia Henrie dove and trapped the ball. With one out, Kraft raced home with the winning run on a wild pitch.
CdA 2, Borah 1: The Vikings jumped on top 2-0 on DeLong’s RBI double in the first and pinch-runner Jill Meredith scored on a wild pitch in the second.
The Lions scored an unearned run in the sixth. Lindsay Barnett singled with one out and moved to second on a passed ball. Kylie Rupp faked a bunt attempt before pulling the bat back, drawing Coeur d’Alene’s third baseman toward home as Barnett took off for third. Nobody covered third base and the Horton’s throw sailed into left field, allowing Barnett to score. That’s the only run against DeLong in 24 tournament innings.
“We’re going to be rested and our arms are going to be ready,” DeLong said. “Not that the other teams won’t be, but they’ll have to play a lot more innings and I think that’s a huge advantage for us.”