Crush, Wildfire teams win state titles

The Coeur d'Alene Crush won five straight games in the losers bracket, then beat the Boise Blast twice in the championship round Sunday to win the state Idaho ASA girls 16-and-under state fastpitch tournament at Skyview Park in Nampa.

The Crush, made up primarily of players from Coeur d'Alene, Lake City and Post Falls high schools, went 8-1 in the tournament, beating the Blast 5-1 and 10-7 in eight innings for the title.

The Crush opened with a 12-0 win over the Filer Fear in four innings, then lost later Friday to the Boise Blast 3-1. On Saturday, the Crush beat the Caldwell Cougars 8-0 in five innings, Field of Dreams (Ontario, Ore.) 7-1, and Idaho Quest (Idaho Falls) 5-2.

On Sunday, the Crush beat the Diamond Bandits of Meridian 8-0 in five innings, then beat the Diamond Bandits Gold 11-10 in nine innings to reach the championship round.

"This team is unreal," said Crush coach Brian Stranger, whose squad was coming off a fifth-place finish at a recent

ASA Triple Crown national exposure tournament in Denver. "The girls had no doubt. When we got beat on Friday, we were definitely coming back, and we were going to play for a state championship."

On Sunday, Nikki Ragsdale pitched a one-hitter with six strikeouts, and Kory Kritz went 2 for 3 and scored twice in the win over the Diamond Bandits.

Against the Diamond Bandits Gold, the Crush scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to win. Lindsie Scholwinski singled in the tying run, then scored the winning run when the Bandits threw to first on Randi Spencer's slap bunt. Katie Rowe hit a two-run homer for the Crush and finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs.

In the first title game, Ragsdale scattered five hits and struck out four. Spencer went 3 for 3, Elli Tindall 3 for 4, Chelsey Rasmussen went 2 for 3 and scored twice, Kyeli Parker drove in two runs and Kritz had two hits.

In the deciding title game, the Crush scored four runs in the top of the eighth to break a 6-all tie, as Rowe hit a two-run double and Kritz followed with a two-run single. Kritz finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Rashelle Shaffer, who caught all 29 innings in 90-plus-degree heat on Sunday because the other catcher was injured, went 3 for 4.

Rasmussen's RBI single in the top of the seventh tied the game at 6 and forced extra innings.

The state title qualifies the Crush for the super nationals in College Station, Texas, in three weeks. Stranger said his team will decide soon whether to participate.

At Airport Park in Lewiston, the Coeur d'Alene Crush '97 captured the state 12-and-under title, beating the Idaho Sliders of Eagle 10-9 in nine innings in the championship game.

In the top of the ninth, Kylie Smith hit an RBI double to break an 8-all tie, and Jadyn Behm followed with an RBI single for a 10-8 lead.

Abby Howard went 3 for 5 with a solo home run for the Crush. Behm also went 3 for 5, and Smith, JaeCie Wilson, Mariah Montee and Kylie Rassmussen each had two hits.

By winning, the Crush earned a berth to the A nationals in Bloomington, Ind., but have decided to stay closer to home and compete in the Western A Nationals in Spokane Aug. 2-8.

The Northwest Wildfire went 5-1 and won twice in the championship round to win the state 10-and-under championship in Caldwell.

The Wildfire beat the Coeur d'Alene Crush 15-7 and 16-9 in the championship round.

The Wildfire opened with a 14-0 victory over the Caldwell Burn, as Reilly Williams and Ashley Fernimen teamed for a no-hitter. The Wildfire beat the Southern Idaho Ice 9-0, then lost 11-8 to the Crush. The Wildfire beat the Southern Idaho Ice 13-0 to earn another shot at the Crush in the title round.

Williams struck out 52 in 27 innings for the Wildfire. Capriel Halliday went 14 for 19, Jenna Bassett 13 for 15, Katie Kastning 11 for 18.

The Wildfire qualified for nationals in Arizona, but have opted not to go.

Also at Caldwell, the Idaho Express beat Field of Dreams for the 18U state title.

At Ramsey Park in Coeur d'Alene, the Idaho Golden Gloves of Boise beat the Diamond Bandits of Meridian 9-1 in the championship game of the state 14-and-under tournament.

Rickey Kamimae went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Justeen Simons was 2 for 4 for the Golden Gloves. Courtney Moore struck out four and scattered five hits.

Earlier, the Diamond Bandits eliminated the Idaho Xplosion of Meridian 8-4. Dakoda Lee struck out eight in the win, Kylie Orr went 3 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs, and Brenna Elhart was 2 for 4 with a two-run homer. the Xplosion finished third.

In the first game, the Diamond Bandits beat the Idaho Sliders of Eagle 6-3. Rainey Dyreson struck out six in the win, and Taylor Gorringe was 3 for 4 with two stolen bases.

The Golden Gloves are undecided as to whether to attend nationals in Moline, Ill., Western A nationals in Aurora, Colo., or Western B nationals in Portland.

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