IML teams falter
COEUR d’ALENE — After falling in their respective state 3A softball tournament openers, a pair of Intermountain League rivals will see each other for the fifth time this season.
The only difference in this matchup — the loser goes home.
Timberlake, which lost its state opener to Fruitland 18-2 on Thursday, will face Kellogg, which fell 7-3 against Teton, in a loser-out game at Ramsey Park in Coeur d’Alene at 10 a.m.
Fruitland 18, Timberlake 2: Fruitland (23-2) sophomore Cheyenne Barger hit four doubles and drove in two runs as the Grizzlies pounded out 18 hits.
“I was pretty excited with our bats today,” Fruitland coach Joe Gatanaga said. “We stuck to the game plan and did a fantastic job. Cheyenne is a special player for us as a sophomore and saw the ball well.”
“That team can hit,” Timberlake coach Mike Menti said. “I thought Nicole (Cameron) was pitching well — they were just hitting the ball well.”
Timberlake (15-11) rallied with two runs in the top of the third as Jenna Hoffman and Kodi Kuydendall reached base on back-to-back hits and came around to score on a throwing error.
“I was starting to get worried,” Menti said. “Jenna and Kodi got a couple hits and got us going. We’re a young team that got some experience today. We’ll learn from this and get where we need to go tomorrow.”
“They pretty much hit it everywhere in the outfield,” Timberlake center fielder Megan Hill said. “Even on our errors, it didn’t make much of a difference with the way they were hitting.”
Tara Hutchinson had eight strikeouts and a two-run single for Fruitland, which will face Teton today at noon.
Timberlake 002 00 — 2 3 3
Fruitland 287 1x — 18 18 1
Game called in 5th inning due to 10-run rule.
Nicole Cameron, Sydnie Malloy (4) and Ashlei Jerome; Tara Hutchinson and Jarica Martarano. W — Hutchison. L — Cameron (12-8).
HITS: TL — Hoffman, Kuykendall, Jerome. Fruit — Rule 2, Barger 4, Carlson 3, Zamora 2, Alvarado 2, Daws 2, Martarano, Hutchinson 2, Cuellar. 2B — Barger 4, Zamora. HR — Rule, Alvarado.
Teton 7, Kellogg 3: Teton took advantage of five Kellogg errors to score four unearned runs and move on in the winner’s bracket.
Kellogg, playing in its first state tournament game in school history, left the bases loaded with one out in the sixth, but could not get a rally going until the seventh.
“We were our own worst enemy today,” Kellogg coach Alan Williams said. “We were so nervous and uptight at times, we just couldn’t play.”
Kellogg senior shortstop Kirsten Viche hit a two-run single in the seventh and started a pair of inning-ending double plays in the second and third innings.
“I thought she played well,” Williams said. “She was big for us on defense today.”
Kellogg was held without a hit until the bottom of the third when freshman Taylor Samuelson ripped the first pitch into the right-center gap for a triple.
Third baseman Chloe Pace had a two-run single in the sixth for Teton (14-11).
“I felt really good about the way we played today,” Teton coach Richard Barry said. “We captalized on a couple of mistakes. We didn’t hit the ball as well as I’d liked to, but were able to get it done. Kellogg is a good team also, but we’ll need to hit the ball better on Friday.”
Shantel McCashland had eight strikeouts for Teton.
Teton 002 032 0 — 7 3 1
Kellogg 000 100 2 — 3 4 5
Shantel McCashland and Julie Robinson; Michaela Stewart and Taylor Samuelson. W — McCashland. L — Stewart (11-6).
HITS: Tet — Farmer, Beard, Luker. Kell — Samuelson, Viche 2, Ivie. 2B — Beard, Viche. 3B — Samuelson.
In other 3A action at Ramsey Park, Buhl advanced past Sugar-Salem 16-7 and unbeaten Kimberly defeated Marsh Valley 15-1 in five innings.
Kendyl Hamilton had two home runs and four RBIs and Katherine Hunter went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs for Buhl (23-7).
Alex Pfefferle was 3 for 5 with a home run and five RBIs for Kimberly (26-0).
Schedule
Times PDT
At Twin Falls High
Thursday
Post Falls 4, Mountain View 0
Capital 6, Eagle 4
Timberline 5, Highland 3
Rocky Mountain 7, Lake City 3
Friday
Game 5 — Mountain View (21-9) vs. Highland (23-10), 9 a.m., loser out
Game 6 — Eagle (20-10) vs. Lake City (21-6), 9 a.m., loser out
Game 7 — Post Falls (15-9) vs. Timberline (22-7), 11 a.m.
Game 8 — Capital (12-19) vs. Rocky Mountain (21-7), 11 a.m.
Game 9 — Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 2 p.m., loser out
Game 10 — Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 2 p.m., loser out
Game 11 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4 p.m., semifinal
Game 12 — Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 4 p.m., loser fourth
At OK Ward Park, Pocatello
Thursday
Kuna 3, Blackfoot 0
Hillcrest 6, Jerome 5
Lakeland 3, Wood River 2
Mountain Home 5, Pocatello 1
Friday
Game 5 — Blackfoot (22-5) vs. Wood River (10-18), 9 a.m., loser out
Game 6 — Jerome (17-13) vs. Pocatello (22-10), 9 a.m., loser out
Game 7 — Kuna (23-4) vs. Lakeland (14-11), 11 a.m.
Game 8 — Hillcrest (17-12) vs. Mountain Home (25-2), 11 a.m.
Game 9 — Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 2 p.m., loser out
Game 10 — Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 2 p.m., loser out
Game 11 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4 p.m., semifinal
Game 12 — Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 4 p.m., loser fourth
At Ramsey Park, Coeur d’Alene
Buhl 16, Sugar-Salem 7
Fruitland 18, Timberlake 2, 5 innings
Kimberly 15, Marsh Valley 1, 5 innings
Teton 7, Kellogg 3
Friday
Game 5 — Sugar-Salem (18-4) vs. Marsh Valley (19-7), 10 a.m.
Game 6 — Timberlake (15-11) vs. Kellogg (12-8), 10 a.m., loser out
Game 7 — Buhl (23-7) vs. Kimberly (26-0), noon
Game 8 — Fruitland (23-2) vs. Teton (14-11), noon
Game 9 — Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 3 p.m., loser out
Game 10 — Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 3 p.m., loser out
Game 11 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 5 p.m., semifinal
Game 12 — Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 5 p.m., loser fourth