Post Falls, Timberlake on to state
LEWISTON — Lexi Demute hit a two-run single to give Post Falls the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Trojans overcame a rough start to beat the Timberline Wolves of Boise 7-4 in a state 5A tournament play-in game on Saturday at Airport Park.
It is Post Falls’ first trip to state since 2010, when the Trojans won the state 5A title for the first time in program history.
“With this team, our goal was to get to state and change the mindset of the program,” first-year Post Falls coach Holly Gleaves said.
Timberline scored all four of its runs in the top of the first inning.
“We had one mental breakdown early, but we maintained focus and started chipping away,” Gleaves said. “We had some hits in the right spots and took advantage of some aggressive baserunning.”
In the fifth, “We just tried to get runners on base,” he said, “and if we could get some runners on base we could get creative. We put some pressure on their defense, forced an error here and there.”
Kyndra Hans had two hits and four runs batted in, Kelsey Horn scored three runs and Bubba Gleaves had four hits and two runs scored for Post Falls (13-12), which opens at state against Rocky Mountain (25-2) of Meridian on Friday at Capell Park in Pocatello.
Timberline finishes 17-12.
Timberline 400 000 0 — 4 7 3
Post Falls 102 031 x — 7 11 0
Naomi Butterfield, McKenna Zanetti (6) and Carly Kawamura; Amanda Rouse and Ally Morris. W — Rouse. L — Butterfield.
HITS: TL — Zito 2, Tomlinson, Schmidt, Butterfield 2, Quesnell. PF — Horn 3, Gleaves 4, Hans 2, Demute, Morris. 2B — Quesnell, Horn. 3B — Gleaves, Morris.
Timberlake 7
Buhl 5
LEWISTON — Kyndal Lindley hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the fifth inning, and the Tigers went on to beat the Indians in a state 3A play-in game at Airport Park.
“She liked what she saw and she took it to the right field fence, and that’s what we needed,” Timberlake coach Casi Reisenauer said.
Becca Malloy struck out seven and drove in four runs for Timberlake (14-4), which advances to state this Friday and Saturday at Bonneville High in Idaho Falls. Timberlake, which qualified for state for the 19th straight year, will face District 5 champ Marsh Valley (14-3) in its first-round game Friday at 8 a.m. PDT.
The Tigers struggled early in the game timing up the Buhl pitcher, and the balls they hit solid were “at em” balls.
“My kids have battled all year,” Reisenauer said.
Timberlake 200 032 0 — 7 10 1
Buhl 300 011 0 — 5 8 2
Becca Malloy and Maddy Salois; Somers and Morse. W — Malloy. L — Somers.
HITS: TL — Starr 4, Carhart, Malloy 2, Lindley 2, Vanderhoof. Buhl — Azevedo, Somers, Kennison, Mahannah, Vera 3, Netz. 2B — Malloy, Somers. 3B — Lindley, Mahannah.