Xtreme ’97 wins seven straight games to win Idaho 18U softball title

North Idaho Xtreme ’97 won the Idaho Amateur Softball Association State 18U championship the hard way during the weekend in Nampa.

Xtreme won seven straight games, six of them Sunday forced by a rained out Saturday schedule, after losing its first game in eight innings.

Breana Burke, who will be a senior at Coeur d’Alene High School, pitched every game for Xtreme and her catcher, recent CHS grad Abby Howard, slugged five home runs in the last three games to turn an exhausting day into an exhilarating evening.

In its fifth game Sunday, Xtreme defeated the unbeaten Diamond Bandits of Boise, which was playing just its second game of the day, 8-1 to force the “if-necessary” championship game, which Xtreme won 9-4.

Teams from Spokane, which were assigned to the Idaho state association by ASA in the fall, and North Idaho had one other champion and several top-five finishers in four other state tournaments.

• Spokane Mudhens also needed the “if-necessary” game to win the 10U championship in Coeur d’Alene, defeating the Idaho Sliders of Eagle 8-5 after losing the first game 7-6 as the unbeaten team. Abigail Flerchinger (Balboa Middle School) had a double and drove in two runs for the Mudhens in the title game.

• In the 12U tournament, also in Coeur d’Alene, Spokane Stealth-Tibbits placed fourth and Stealth-Palmer and Spokane Diamonds-Cushner tied for fifth. Idaho Sliders of Boise won, defeating South Idaho Ice of Twin Falls 8-2 in the championship game.

• In the 16U tournament in Boise, Spokane Scream ’98 placed third and North Idaho Xtreme ’98 won its first three games before rain halted things Saturday, then lost its next two, and its catcher to an injury, and tied for fifth with Spokane Crash-Blake. Idaho Crossfire-Kemper beat Boise Blast 3-0 for the title.

No area teams had top-four finishes in the 14U in Caldwell, won by Idaho Sliders.

• Macey Finch (Rogers) had a run-scoring triple in the sixth inning and shortstop Brooke Braley (University) made a game-saving catch in the top of the seventh with the tying runs on base as the Spokane Mudhens defeated Liberty Lake Lightning 5-3 Saturday at Franklin Park to win a girls 16U/18U ASA national qualifier.

The Mudhens, a 14U team, were “playing up” in the tournament that qualifies teams for the ASA 16U B and 18U B Western National Championships in Spokane July 26-Aug. 2. Northwest Wildfire defeated West Plains Bandits 5-2 in the third-place game.

• Lakeside softball players were well represented on the State 1A all-state tournament team that was recently announced. Lakeside took third.

McKensie Brittos, Hailey Lesser and Madi Naccarato were named first team.

Maddie Lesser and Kylie Sweeney of Deer Park were tabbed second team. And Payton Thomas, also of Lakeside, was honorable mention.