Lake City has a senior moment

COEUR d'ALENE - Lake City only has three seniors, but they all went out in style on their home field Tuesday.

Shortstop Katie Rowe went 3 for 3 and drove in a run, first baseman Kory Kritz went 2 for 3 with an RBI and second baseman Amber Edwards played slick defense as the Timberwolves beat Lewiston 3-0 in the championship game of the 5A Region 1 softball tournament at Lake City.

"I always tell them after every play - please don't graduate," said T-Wolf junior pitcher Casey Stangel, who pitched a three-hitter as the defending state champions won their second straight regional title. "They are nails."

Lake City (21-1) advances to state May 18-19 at Capell Park in Chubbuck. The T-Wolves will open the single-elimination (with a consolation bracket) tournament May 18 at 11 a.m. PST vs. the fourth-place finisher from the District 3 tournament.

Lewiston (15-9) will play at Coeur d'Alene (18-5) on Thursday at 4 p.m. for the region's second berth to state. Lewiston beat Coeur d'Alene 3-1 in the first round, then Coeur d'Alene eliminated Post Falls 13-1 in five innings. Earlier, Lake City beat Post Falls 11-0 in five innings.

Post Falls finished 0-23.

Lake City 3, Lewiston 0: JaeCie Wilson reached on a bunt single in the first inning and scored on a fielder's choice for Lake City. The T-Wolves couldn't break away early, leaving five runners on base in the first four innings.

In the fifth, Wilson led off with a walk and moved up on Vanessa Shippy’s single to center field. Stangel lined into a double play, but Rowe followed with a single to right field, scoring Wilson. After Hailey Jackson singled, Kritz singled in Rowe.

“I couldn’t have gone out in a better way,” Rowe said. “A win’s a win, but the last one on our field is just icing on the cake.”

“Katie Rowe came through and was clutch today,” Lake City coach Laura Tolzmann said. “And I thought Kory Kritz was outstanding again at first base with some stretches and coming up with some great plays. ... Kudos to our infield; we had some great plays.

“The quote we’ve been going by this season has been, ‘Road to a repeat,’ so we want to get back and defend a state title.”

Stangel struck out 10. Lewiston threatened in the seventh with an error and a single, but Stangel got the final batter to bounce out to Jackson at third to end.

“We played ’em tight; we didn’t give up,” Lewiston coach Dave Garrett said. “Casey’s definitely a tough pitcher to score on. They hit the ball well; I thought we kept their offense in check, holding them to three runs.”

Lewiston 000 000 0 — 0 3 1

Lake City 100 020 x — 3 9 1

Alyssa Huffaker and Darci Huffaker; Casey Stangel and Vanessa Shippy. L — Stangel (20-1). L — A. Huffaker.

HITS: Lew — Parson, Moscrip, Harding. LC — J. Wilson, Shipy 2, Rowe 3, Jackson, Kritz 2.

Lake City 11, Post Falls 0: Stangel pitched a one-hitter with nine strikeouts, and Dakota Wilson went 2 for 3 and drove in three runs. Jackson went 3 for 3, including a solo home run in the third inning.

Post Falls 000 00 — 0 1 5

Lake City 404 3x — 11 11 0

Lexie Butterfield and Dara Kolar; Casey Stangel and Vanessa Shippy. W — Stangel (19-1). L — Butterfield (0-12).

HITS: PF — Kolar. LC — J. Wilson, Shippy, Stangel, Rowe, Jackson 3, Kritz, Edwards, D. Wilson 2. 2B — Jackson, Kritz. 3B — Stangel. HR — D. Wilson.

Lewiston 3, Coeur d’Alene 1: Jasmine Robinson hit a two-run homer over the fence in right-center field with one out in the top of the seventh for the Bengals to break a 1-all tie at Finucane Park.

Brooke Albertson’s triple scored Elli Tindall in the first inning for Coeur d’Alene’s lone run.

Lewiston’s Shawnee Zink held Coeur d’Alene to three hits.

“We didn’t really adjust to her pitching,” Coeur d’Alene coach Larry Bieber said. “She pitched a really good game.”

Lewiston 000 001 2 — 3 6 0

Coeur d’Alene 100 000 0 — 1 3 1

Shawnee Zink and Darci Huffaker; Nikki Ragsdale, Lindsie Scholwinski (7) and Rashell Shaffer. W — Zink (8-5). L — Ragsdale.

HITS: Lew — Robinson, Zink, Wells 2, Moscrip 2. Cd’A — B. Albertson, Ragsdale, S. Parker. 2B — Ragsdale. 3B — B. Albertson. HR — Robinson.

Coeur d’Alene 13, Post Falls 1: Lindsie Scholwinski struck out 11 and drove in two runs as the Vikings beat the Trojans in a loser-out game.

Chelsey Rasmussen had three RBIs for Coeur d’Alene.

“We came out and did what we’ve been doing all year,” Bieber said. “(Kendal) Floch has improved throughout the season and is continuing to get better. I think we were a little upset about losing that first game and took it out on them. To get three home runs in a district game is pretty good.”

Post Falls 100 00 — 1 4 3

Coeur d’Alene 332 5x — 13 12 0

Game ended in 5th inning due to 10-run rule.

Kendal Floch and Dara Kolar; Lindsie Scholwinski and Rashell Shaffer. W — Scholwinski (9-2). L — Kolar (0-4).

HITS: PF — Kolar 2, Butterfield, Floch. Cd’A — C. Rasmussen 2, B. Albertson 2, Scholwinski 2, Ragsdale 2, Tindall, K. Parker, K. Rasmussen, Spencer. 2B — Kolar, Ragsdale, C. Rasmussen, Tindall. HR — C. Rasmussen (5), Albertson (5), Scholwinski (2).