Viking stunner
CHUBBUCK - When Coeur d'Alene High sophomore Brooke Albertson caught the fly ball in right field for the last out, junior pitcher Lindsie Scholwinski started to focus on the next batter.
But there was no need to pitch to any more batters.
"When she caught that ball, it didn't quite click until everybody started screaming," Scholwinski said. "I was thinking, 'Next out ... no, wait - we just won.'"
Scholwinski held powerful Lake City to three hits and Coeur d'Alene stunned the defending champion Timberwolves with a 5-2 victory in the state 5A softball title game Saturday afternoon at Capell Park.
"This feels just unbelievably awesome," Coeur d'Alene coach Larry Bieber said. "This is my 19th year of coaching, and this win is as big as any of them."
Coeur d'Alene (22-5) won its fifth state fastpitch title, and first since 2007. But Lake City (23-2) was coming off an undefeated season, and was 49-1 over its last 50 games.
Also, Lake City had beaten Coeur d'Alene 10 straight times, dating back to the 2010 season. The Vikings did not score a run against the Timberwolves in five losses in 2011, were shut out in two of the three meetings this year, and scored two runs in the other meeting.
But the Vikings said they were confident coming into the title game, after beating Capital of Boise 3-0 and Meridian 7-4 on Friday to get there. And, after spotting Lake City a run in the first inning, Coeur d’Alene pushed across three runs in the top of the third off T-Wolf ace and Missouri commit Casey Stangel, and the Vikings never looked back.
“We played really loose, we played with confidence, and we hit the ball,” Bieber said. “We knew they were expected to beat us, but we just played good softball. We knew we could put the ball into play against Casey.”
Katie Rowe’s sacrifice fly in the first put Lake City on top.
In the Viking third, Randi Spencer singled, stole second and scored on Zoe Clark’s single. Elli Tindall followed with an RBI triple, and scored on Albertson’s double for a 3-1 lead. It was the first time Coeur d’Alene had led in a game against Lake City in two years.
“The key was to actually think we could hit (Stangel),” said Spencer, who finished 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored. “We’ve seen her about five times this year; it was about time. After we scored that first run, everything just fell into place. It was like, ‘Wow, this is really happening.’”
Spencer singled in Nikki Ragsdale in the fourth inning to make it 4-1. Jordyn McCracken’s sacrifice fly pulled Lake City within 4-2 in the fifth.
In the seventh, Spencer singled and was sacrificed to second. The next batter lined out, but in trying to double Spencer off of second, the ball was thrown into right center field, and Spencer sped around third and scored.
“Coeur d’Alene played very well; they put the ball into play,” Lake City coach Laura Tolzmann said. “And we couldn’t quite string the hits together today. It’s a hard one to end on, but I’m happy at the same time that it (the championship trophy) stays in the north.”
Scholwinski struck out six.
“She was just throwing BBs,” Bieber said. “She was throwing as hard as I’ve ever seen her throw. Her main thing was hitting her spots.”
“I just had to keep my composure and keep a strong head on my shoulders and throw my game like I know how,” said Scholwinski, like Stangel a left-hander. “I had to work the corners, and I had a great defense behind me.”
“Lindsie had an awesome game,” said Spencer, who was in center field on Saturday. “She always has that game face on but this game, especially, you could tell she wanted it.”
Stangel struck out eight for Lake City, which came into the game having won 18 straight after a loss at Meridian on March 31.
“Overall, we still had an awesome season,” Tolzmann said. “We’ll keep our heads up and be back next year. I’m proud of my girls.”
Coeur d’Alene 003 100 1 — 5 8 1
Lake City 100 010 0 — 2 3 2
Lindsie Scholwinski and Rashell Shaffer; Casey Stangel and Vanessa Shippy. W — Scholwinski (10-2). L — Stangel (22-2).
HITS: Cd’A — Spencer 3, S. Parker 2, Clark, Tindall, B. Albertson. LC — J. Wilson, Shippy, Kritz. 2B — B. Albertson, S. Parker, Kritz. 3B — Tindall.
Twin Falls 13
Lakeland 2, 5 inn.
TWIN FALLS — The visiting Hawks allowed nine runs in the third inning to fall in the state 4A consolation championship game to the Bruins at Twin Falls High.
Kristin Klopatek, Kendra Rebal and Erin Ogden had one hit each for Lakeland, which finished 16-8.
Lakeland 000 11 — 2 3 1
Twin Falls 049 0x — 13 14 3
Kristin Klopatek and Kendra Rebal; Ashlyn Aardema and Alle Johnson. W — Aardema. L — Klopatek (16-7).
HITS: LL — Klopatek, Rebal, Odgen. TF — Ellis 3, Bartlett 2, Lounsbury 2, Harshbarger, Hinojos. 3B — Lounsbury 2. HR — Harshbarger, Hinojos.