3A DISTRICT 1 SOFTBALL: Timberlake wins another title

SPIRIT LAKE - Katie Malloy went 3 for 4 with five RBIs, including a two-run homer in the third inning as the Timberlake Tigers beat the Kellogg Wildcats 21-12 in the championship game of the 3A District 1 tournament at Timberlake High.

Timberlake led 13-2 after the top of the third inning, but allowed nine runs in the bottom of the inning as Kellogg cut the deficit to 13-11.

"The story of our lives has been that one bad inning," Timberlake coach Mike Menti said. "Earlier in the year, that one bad inning turned into multiple bad innings. Nine runs is a horrible inning, but we stopped it after that."

Lexi Posch went 3 for 5 with five runs scored and a two-run home run in the seventh for Timberlake (12-6), which advances to its 14th straight state tournament starting next Friday in Buhl.

"This team has came a long way from where we were at the beginning of the year," Menti said. "Week in and week out, we're continuing to improve."

McKenzie Bublitz went 3 for 4 with a solo home run for Kellogg (13-7), which came back in the second-place game to beat Priest River 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning to advance to a state 3A play-in game at Prairie High in Cottonwood.

After the title game, Priest River defeated Bonners Ferry in a loser-out game to advance to the second-place game vs. Kellogg, which won the Intermountain League this year for the first time in school history.

In the second-place game, Jessica Pickering hit a walk-off single with nobody out to give the Wildcats the win and eliminate the Spartans (12-12).

"We played a little sloppy in the first game (against Timberlake)," Kellogg coach Craig Turbak said. "The girls came back in the second game and kept their heads up and got a win. Timberlake just hit the heck out of the ball in the first (championship) game."

Timberlake 805 303 2 - 21 18 8

Kellogg 029 100 0 - 12 10 4

Sydnie Malloy and Alicia Rutigliano; Raine Yergler and Arica Specht. W - Malloy (7-4). L - Yergler.

HITS: TL - Posch 3, Kalar 3, S. Malloy 2, Owen 2, K. Malloy 3, Rutigliano, Carhart, McCormick 3. Kell - Howard, Specht, Eixenberger 2, Zisk, Yergler, Bublitz 3, Pickering. 2B - Posch, Kalar, S. Malloy 2, Owen 2, K. Malloy, McCormick, Eixenberger 2, Zisk. HR - Posch (4), K. Malloy (4), Bublitz.