PREP SOFTBALL: Vikings, T-Wolves trade wins

COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene Vikings and first-place Lake City Timberwolves both had something to be happy about at the end of the day Thursday.

Coeur d’Alene beat Lake City 3-2 in the first game of an Inland Empire League doubleheader at Lake City High.

The T-Wolves bounced back to beat the Vikings 6-3 in the second game.

In the first game, Kristine Schmidt struck out 19 in 11 innings for Coeur d’Alene (8-4, 5-3 IEL). She took a 1-0 lead and a one-hitter into the bottom of the seventh, before Taylor Hill of Lake City (11-3, 8-2) went the other way and tied the game with a leadoff homer just inside the right field foul pole.

Abby Moehring scored on an error in the top of the ninth to put Coeur d’Alene up 2-1. In the bottom half, KaeLee Kolden of Lake City answered with her second double of the game, scoring Karsyn Dement to tie it up.

In the 11th, Moehring scored on a bunt, and Schmidt struck out the final batter with runners at first and second to end it.

“I knew for sure we needed one, and we were going to use one pitcher, and they were going to use two,” Coeur d’Alene coach Bobbi Darretta said. “I was hopeful we could get the first one.”

Schmidt threw 127 pitches in the opener, walking two and allowing three hits. She threw another 83 in the nightcap, striking out six, walking one and yielding six hits.

“I was very impressed with her,” Darretta said. “She’s just really blossomed into such an exceptional pitcher.”

In the second game, Hope Bodak hit a two-run single in the third inning and a two-run homer in the fifth. Brooklyn Wullenwaber hit a solo homer in the fourth.

Schmidt hit a two-run homer in the sixth for Coeur d’Alene, which is tied with Lewiston (6-8, 5-3) for second place in the IEL.

“I am proud of our fight today in game one,” Lake City coach Jordyn Hensley said. “Although I am disappointed in the outcome, there were some great things that happened in that game that we celebrated and held on to as we came out for game two. It’s impressive that our team was able to bounce back from such a tough loss in game one and put up runs early in game two. They are gamers and they are going to continue to do anything they can to win.”

Kylee Palmer struck out seven in six innings and allowed three hits in the opener for Lake City, and mostly pitched around six walks. Layla Gugino allowed one hit in five innings of relief.

Palmer allowed three hits in the nightcap, walking six in six innings.

“Our pitching staff fought hard today and kept hitters off balance; they did great today,” Hensley said.

Coeur d’Alene travels to Moscow on Saturday for an IEL doubleheader.

Lake City returns to action Tuesday at Post Falls in a league twinbill.

Coeur d’Alene and Lake City are scheduled to meet again May 2 in a doubleheader at Coeur d’Alene High.

“We hadn’t seen a lot of riseball pitchers, and I’m glad we saw that today,” Darretta said. “They are a good hitting team I’m excited for the next time we see them; we need to try to win in seven innings, and keep Kristine fresh.”

FIRST GAME

Coeur d’Alene 010 000 001 01 — 3 3 0

Lake City 000 000 101 00 — 2 3 2

Kristine Schmidt and Delaney Gosch; Kylee Palmer, Layla Gugino (7) and Hope Bodak.

HITS: Cd’A — Burke 2, Knutson. LC — Kolden 2, Hill. 2B — Kolden 2. 3B — Burke. HR — Hill.

SECOND GAME

Coeur d’Alene 000 102 — 3 3 1

Lake City 102 12x — 6 6 0

Kristine Schmidt and Delaney Gosch; Kylee Palmer and Hope Bodak.

HITS: Cd’A — Bakken, Schmidt, Knutson. LC — Kolden, Hill, Bodak 4, Wullenwaber, Palmer. 2B — Bakken. HR — Schmidt, Bodak, Wullenwaber.

Lakeland 15-9

Sandpoint 13-6

RATHDRUM — Kiersten Drake hit a three-run home run in the third inning, finishing with four RBIs in the first game, then followed with two RBIs in the nightcap for the Hawks, who swept the Bulldogs in an Inland Empire League twinbill at Lakeland High.

Payton Sterling hit a solo home run leading off the fifth inning for Lakeland (4-9, 2-6 IEL) in the first game.

Abi Miller drove in four runs in the opener for Sandpoint.

In the nightcap, Delilah Zimmerman walked twice and scored three runs for Lakeland, which held off a late rally by Sandpoint (0-14, 0-6) for the win. The Bulldogs moved a runner to second base with two out before they were picked off to end the game.

Mayle Ducken had three hits and three RBIs in the second game for Sandpoint, which travels to Lewiston for a doubleheader on Saturday.

Lakeland hosts Lewiston in a doubleheader on Tuesday.

FIRST GAME

Sandpoint 022 404 1 — 13 22 4

Lakeland 106 521 x — 15 11 0

Mayle Ducken, Ainsley Hull (6) and Ashlyn Darling; Emma Avalos, Mia Kesner (6) and Payton Sterling.

HITS: Spt — Knowles, McCown 3, Cessna 3, Skibitsy 2, Ducken, Darling 4, Miller 4, Hull 2, Sykes 2. LL — Hanna 2, Sterling 2, Avalos 2, Dewey, Drake 2, Barnard, Goncalves. 2B — Cessna, Ducken, Darling, Drake, Sterling, Hanna. 3B — Avalos. HR — Drake, Sterling.

SECOND GAME

Sandpoint 300 100 2 — 6 9 1

Lakeland 031 023 x — 9 10 1

Ashlyn Darling, Mayle Ducken (6) and Elizabeth Dysart; Aubrie Goncalves and Payton Sterling.

HITS: Spt — Knowles 2, Cessna, Skibitsky 2, Ducken 3, Darling. LL — Hanna, Zimmerman, Avalos, Zeilstra 2, Dewey, Drake, Goncalves, Barnard 2. 2B — Skibitsky, Ducken, Zeilstra.