Post Falls romps into championship game

TWIN FALLS — When he saw his Post Falls softball team acting quietly in the hotel lobby prior to Friday’s play at the state 5A softball tournament, Trojans coach Jack Foster wondered if his usual chatty group of girls were nervous.

Turns out they were just focused.

Post Falls routed Timberline of Boise 12-2 in five innings, then shut down Rocky Mountain of Meridian 7-1 to advance to the championship game today.

“We’re peaking at the right time,” said Foster, whose team is 3-0 in the tourney. “Offensively, we’ve hit the ball better these three games than we have all year.”

Post Falls (17-9) plays for its first state title in softball today at 11 a.m. PDT. Rocky Mountain (22-8) and Timberline (24-8) play at 9 a.m. in a loser-out game. The winner must beat Post Falls twice for the title.

In Friday’s first game Brooke Litalien, one of five freshman starters, drove in four runs, and fellow frosh Rachel Collins and Dara Kolar each knocked in three. Litalien hit a two-run double in the first inning and a two-run single in the fifth to end the game on the 10-run rule.

The Trojans played error-free defense behind Richelle Ashburn, who struck out five in a three-hitter.

“They were a team that went out and attacked the ball well against her, but we made some great defensive plays,” Foster said. “It might be the most complete game we’ve played all year. Everybody either had a big defensive play, or a big hit.”

In the semifinal, Ashburn struck out 15, and had a no-hitter until Sami Verity led off the bottom of the seventh with a single.

Post Falls led 2-0 until senior Bri Joseph led off the seventh inning with her first high school home run. That started a run of six straight hits before an out was recorded. Key hits included an RBI triple by Collins, an RBI double from Ashburn, an RBI triple by Litalien and a run-scoring single from Heidi Mueller.

POST FALLS 12, TIMBERLINE 2

Timberline 100 10 — 2 3 0

Post Falls 402 33 — 12 17 0

Alissa Bowman and Kendra Nagy; Richelle Ashburn and Haley Walker. W — Ashburn (14-4). L — Bowman.

HITS: TL — Nagy 2, Sperry. PF — Joseph, King 3, Collins 3, Ashburn 3, Litalien 2, Mueller, Kolar 3, Walker, Booth. 2B — Collins, Litalien, Nagy.

POST FALLS 7, ROCKY MOUNTAIN 1

Post Falls 000 110 5 — 7 11 1

Rocky Mtn. 000 000 1 — 1 1 1

Richelle Ashburn and Haley Walker; Bree Shinall-Kopczynski and Josie Verity. W — Ashburn (15-4). L — Shinall-Kopczynski.

HITS: PF — Joseph 2, King 2, Collins 3, Ashburn, Litalien, Mueller 2, Booth. RM — S. Verity. 2B — Mueller, Ashburn. 3B — Litalien, Collins, Joseph. HR — Joseph (1).

Lake City splits,

eliminated in 5A

TWIN FALLS — Freshman Amber Hawkes hit a two-run single to move the Timberwolves past Eagle 8-7 in a loser-out game Friday, but Lake City came up short in its second elimination game as Elaine Sperry hit a two-run home run in the seventh to lead Timberline past the Timberwolves 4-3.

“The kids played hard and didn’t quit,” Lake City coach Laura Tolzmann said. “Casey (Stangel) threw really well considering she had appendix surgery on Monday. The kids played hard — we just came up short.”

Stangel had 14 strikeouts against Eagle and senior Jamie Hall was 3 for 3 with two runs scored and a home run for Lake City.

Katie Rowe hit a solo shot to give Lake City the lead in the third against Timberline. Kory Kritz was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI for the Timberwolves, who finished 22-7.

LAKE CITY 8, EAGLE 7

Eagle 000 070 0 — 7 10 0

Lake City 010 115 x — 8 7 2

Jessica Holsinger and Kelly Morton; Casey Stangel and Mariah Linahan. W — Stangel (17-6). L — Holsinger.

HITS: Eag — Hingsberger, Henrie 2, Murphy, Helms 2, Hathorn, Mitchell 2, Corta. LC — Rowe, Stangel, Hawkes, Kritz, Hall 3. 2B — Hall, Mitchell. 3B — Helms. HR — Hall (2).

TIMBERLINE 4, LAKE CITY 3

Timberline 002 000 2 — 4 5 1

Lake City 002 010 0 — 3 6 0

Erin Keen and Kendra Nagy; Casey Stangel and Linahan. W — Keen. L — Stangel (17-7).

HITS: Tim — Menges, Nagy, Sperry, Warden, Bice. LC — Rowe, Stangel 2, Kritz 2, Leddy. 2B — Kritz. HR — Rowe (9), Sperry.

Lakeland ousted

after two losses

POCATELLO — The Hawks lost 14-6 to Kuna and 6-1 to Pocatello and exited the state 4A tournament with a 1-2 record and a tie for fifth place.

Senior Shelby Kunas, who missed seven weeks with a leg injury, hit a three-run homer in the third inning vs. Kuna. But Lakeland committed nine errors vs. the Kavemen.

Kunas drove in the lone run for Lakeland (14-13) vs. Pocatello.

“We played tough; it’s definitely a different caliber of ball. There’s no room for error at this level,” Lakeland coach Colleen Bevacqua said. “Kuna was extremely aggressive, and caused us to throw it around.

“I’m proud of all (nine) seniors. It was tough because I have coached most of the seniors for four years. I had a great time coaching this group.”

KUNA 14, LAKELAND 6

Lakeland 004 101 0 — 6 9 9

Kuna 108 122 x — 14 10 1

Jamie Klopatek, Ashley Metcalf (3) and Alia Cox; Arizana and Newman. W — Arizana. L — Klopatek.

HITS: LL — Watson 3, Kasting, Cox, Kunas, Grawcock, Grubham, Klopatek. Kuna — Smith 2, Arizana 2, Newman, Doughty, Hogsett, Kaminski, Desloover 2. 2B — Smith, Arizana 2, Newman, Watson. HR — Kunas.

POCATELLO 6, LAKELAND 1

Pocatello 100 004 1 — 6 8 1

Lakeland 000 000 1 — 1 6 5

Sam Nalley and Emerald Ryan; Jamie Klopatek and Alia Cox. W — Nalley. L — Klopatek.

HITS: Poc — Ryan 2, Jacobs, Slatton 3, Caudill 2. LL — Watson, Kasting, Cox, Grubham, Grawcock, Klopatek. 2B — Caudill, Kasting, Klopatek.

Schedule

Times PDT

At Twin Falls High

Friday

Highland 10, Mountain View 0, loser out

Lake City 8, Eagle 7, loser out

Post Falls 12, Timberline 2

Rocky Mountain 10, Capital 6

Capital 7, Highland 2, loser out

Timberline 4, Lake City 3, loser out

Post Falls 7, Rocky Mountain 1, semifinal

Timberline 12, Capital 8, loser fourth

Saturday

Game 13 — Timberline (24-8) vs. Rocky Mountain (22-8), 9 a.m., loser third

Game 14 — Post Falls (17-9) vs. Winner Game 13, 11 a.m., championship

Game 15 — If-necessary championship game, 1 p.m.

At OK Ward Park, Pocatello

Friday

Blackfoot 15, Wood River 3, loser out

Pocatello 10, Jerome 0, loser out

Kuna 14, Lakeland 6

Mountain Home 12, Hillcrest 1

Hillcrest 10, Blackfoot 2, loser out

Pocatello 6, Lakeland 1, loser out

Kuna 3, Mountain Home 2, semifinal

Hillcrest 10, Pocatello 2, loser fourth

Saturday

Game 13 — Hillcrest (19-13) vs. Mountain Home (26-3), 9 a.m., loser third

Game 14 — Kuna (25-4) vs. Winner Game 13, 11 a.m., championship

Game 15 — If-necessary championship game, 1 p.m.

At Ramsey Park, Coeur d’Alene

Friday

Sugar-Salem 8, Marsh Valley 2, loser out

Kellogg 12, Timberlake 7, loser out

Buhl 4, Kimberly 0

Fruitland 14, Teton 3

Sugar-Salem 3, Teton 2, loser out

Kimberly 12, Kellogg 0, 5 innings, loser out

Fruitland 18, Buhl 2, 5 innings, semifinal

Kimberly 7, Sugar-Salem 0, loser fourth

Saturday

Game 13 — Kimberly (28-1) vs. Buhl (23-8), 10 a.m., loser third

Game 14 — Fruitland (25-2) vs. Winner Game 13, noon, championship

Game 15 — If-necessary championship game, 2 p.m.