5A IEL SOFTBALL: Viks repeat as league champs

COEUR d'ALENE - The Larry Bieber Victory Tour continued Tuesday, with one last stop for the Coeur d'Alene High softball coach at his city rival for more than two decades - Lake City, where his Vikings swept the Timberwolves 7-0 and 6-1 to wrap up the 5A Inland Empire League championship.

"It means something to win your last game on your crosstown rival's field," said Bieber, who announced earlier this season he is retiring as Vikings coach at the end of this, his 21st season. "For 21 years I've battled with those guys - back to the time when Dwight Wilson was coach, then (Darren) Taylor, (Laura) Tolzmann, and now Jesse (Lenz). So it's been a great rivalry. They've had their share of wins, and we've had our share."

Coeur d'Alene (19-0, 12-0 5A IEL) wrapped up its second straight league title - with its second straight 12-0 league season - with its victory in the first game over Lake City (13-6, 8-4). Coeur d'Alene will be the No. 1 seed for the Region 1 tournament, which begins next Tuesday. Lake City will be the No. 2 seed.

In the first game, Coeur d'Alene jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, the big hit a two-run double by Jane Wilkey. Kylie Rasmussen had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in two runs for the Vikings.

"I think we really set the tone for the day with our first inning in the first game," Bieber said.

In the second game, junior Kayla Patton got her first varsity start in the circle for Lake City, and kept the T-Wolves close before the Vikings pulled away late.

Lake City scored first - the only run it has scored in four meetings with Coeur d'Alene - in the first inning. JaeCie Wilson reached on a bunt single to lead off. Haley Loffer sacrificed, and Wilson rounded second and headed for third. The Vikings couldn't handle the throw to third, and the ball trickled out of play behind the bag as Wilson scored.

Jadyn Behm tied it for Coeur d'Alene with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, then drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single in the fourth. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Rasmussen and Abby Howard broke the game open in the fifth.

Howard's double was actually a popup between third and short, but fell due to a miscommunication between the Lake City fielders.

Patton allowed just five hits. She walked six and struck out two.

"We learned a lot about our team," said Lenz, Lake City's first-year coach. "We've still got to clean up some things. But I learned we could battle; we never gave up. We wanted to see what (Patton) could do, and she threw the ball really well that second game; she kept them off-balance. I feel like we're getting closer, but we still have some work to do."

Coeur d'Alene junior Breana Burke struck out eight in the first game and seven in the second game. She took a one-hitter into the seventh inning of the second game, and finished with a three-hitter.

Technically, Lake City can make it to state without beating Coeur d'Alene, which has outscored the T-Wolves 35-1 in four games. But to beat the Vikings, "we have to clean up our mistakes, and we have to hit Bre," Lenz said. "Bre's a good pitcher."

Coeur d'Alene plays host to Moscow on Thursday in a makeup game for senior night, then wraps up the regular season Saturday with a doubleheader at Richland (Wash.)

"I think we are playing great right now," Bieber said as the postseason nears. "We had that Lewiston meltdown, where we made a couple of errors in that last inning and let them come back (in a 9-7 victory). So we talked about it - 'when you decide you're God's gift to softball, all of a sudden, that's when you get bit.' So I was glad that we had that lesson to learn."

Lake City plays host to Moscow today in a 3 p.m. doubleheader to conclude the regular season.

FIRST GAME

Coeur d'Alene 510 100 0 - 7 10 1

Lake City 000 000 0 - 0 3 4

Breana Burke and Abby Howard; Michaela Flerchinger and Chloe Falciani-Marshall. W - Burke. L - Flerchinger.

HITS: Cd'A - Rasmussen 3, Burke 2, Raynor 2, Howard, Catt, Wilkey. LC - J. Wilson, Gay, Cook. 2B - Rasmussen, Burke, Raynor, Wilkey, J. Wilson.

SECOND GAME

Coeur d'Alene 010 120 2 - 6 5 1

Lake City 100 000 0 - 1 3 3

Breana Burke and Abby Howard; Kayla Patton and Chloe Falciani-Marshall, Kimmi Cook (6). W - Burke. L - Patton (0-1).

HITS: Cd'A - Burke, Rasmussen, Howard, Behm, Montee. LC - J. Wilson, Gay, Hawkes. 2B - Rasmussen, Howard.