PREP ROUNDUP: Lakeland sweeps Sandpoint; regionals next

• SOFTBALL

RATHDRUM — Sophomore Delilah Zimmerman homered in both games and finished 6 for 7 with nine RBIs and six runs scored on the day as the Lakeland Hawks swept the visiting Sandpoint Bulldogs 17-2 and 25-12 in the Inland Empire League and regular season finale for both teams Saturday.

Zimmerman hit a three-run homer in the second inning for Lakeland (9-12, 6-10 IEL). Kiersten Drake hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and finished with four RBIs. Baylee Frank hit a solo home run in the second inning, and Payton Sterling followed Drake’s dinger with a solo shot.

In the second game, Zimmerman hit a two-run homer in the first, a two-run single in the third and a two-run single in the fourth.

Alexis Hanna went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and three runs scored in the second game for the Hawks, Sterling went 3 for 3 with three RBIs, and Mia Kesner and Katie Dewey each knocked in four runs.

“We finally played, not completely error-free, but close to it,” third-year Lakeland coach Dwayne Curry said. “Our bats are there. We have power; we’re going to hit, it’s just that sometimes we have to out-hit ourselves.”

Cadence Skibitsky hit a two-run home run in the first inning for Sandpoint (3-21, 0-16), which showed some pop in the second game, hitting four home runs. 

Teagan Newsom hit a three-run homer in the first for the Bulldogs, Bailey Lancaster hit a grand slam in the third inning, and Peyton Cessna hit a two-run homer in the fourth.

“It’s been a rebuilding year,” said first-year Sandpoint coach Leah (Free) Platt, a 1997 Sandpoint High grad. “We’ve got a lot of young girls (only two seniors), so we knew it was going to be a rebuilding year … other than that, the girls have really come together as a team, and changed that vibe. We’re trying to take all the positives, and build on those.”

Lakeland junior pitcher MacKenzie Briggs, who took a line drive off the top of the foot last week at Lake City, returned to action Saturday and started the second game in the circle for the Hawks.

The seeding for this week’s 4A Region 1 tournament was already set prior to Saturday.

Tuesday’s play will be at Moscow. No. 2 seed Lakeland will play No. 3 seed Sandpoint at 3 p.m. in a loser-out game, with the winner playing the top-seeded Bears (12-10, 9-7) at 5 in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the regional title and the region’s lone berth to state.

Game 2 is Thursday; Game 3, if necessary, is Saturday.

Lakeland won the regional title two years ago, but Moscow beat the Hawks last year for the regional title.

“I think we match up really well with Moscow,” Curry said. “The last couple games we let get away from us — tons of errors that we’ve worked on, and today showed me that we got them cleaned up, hopefully.”

As for Sandpoint …

“We like to wait til the second game to get going, unfortunately,” Platt said, “so we have to get rowdy early and minimize our defensive errors.”

FIRST GAME 

Sandpoint    200    00    —    2    4    6

Lakeland    575    0x    —    17    11    0

Game called in 5th inning due to 10-run rule.

Ainsley Hull, Hali Smotherman (2) and Bailey Lancaster; Abby Helmholz and Payton Sterling, Katie Dewey (5).

HITS: Spt — Smotherman, Skibitsky, Lancaster, Newsom. LL — Hanna, Zimmerman 3, Frank, Drake, Sterling 2, Blakemore, Helmholz, Dewey 3B — Zimmerman. HR — Skibitsky, Zimmerman, Frank, Drake, Sterling.

SECOND GAME

Sandpoint    305    22    —     12    10    4

Lakeland    765    7x    —    25    14    1

Teagan Newsom, Ainsley Hull (3) and Bailey Lancaster;  MacKenzie Briggs, Mia Kesner (3) and Payton Sterling, Katie Dewey (1).

HITS: Spt — Hull, Cessna 2, Skibitsky 4, Newsom, Lancaster, Hindle. LL — Hanna 3, Zimmerman 6, Sterling 3, Drake, Corbey, Kesner, Dewey 2. 2B — Skibitsky, Hindle, Hanna, Kesner, Dewey, Sterling 3. HR — Cessna, Newsom, Lancaster, Hull, Zimmerman.

• LACROSSE

Lake City 8

Coeur d’Alene 6

COEUR d’ALENE — Chase Walker and Bryon Wessels had two goals and two assists each for Lake City in a Idaho Lacrosse League match against Coeur d’Alene at Lake City High.

Colton Altimus and Fisher Hoyle had two goals each for Lake City (6-1), which visits Sandpoint on Tuesday.

Ian Dahlin had three goals for Coeur d’Alene (4-3), which hosts Immaculate Conception on Tuesday.

COEUR d’ALENE — Goals: Ian Dahlin 3, Brayden Osterdock 1, Aedan Reindel 1, Jacob Osterdock 1. Assists: Reindel 1, Gavin Lucas 1. Saves: Owen Putren 3.

LAKE CITY — Goals: Colton Altimus 2, Chase Walker 2, Bryon Wessels 2, Fisher Hoyle 2. Assists: Walker 2, Wessels 2. Saves: not reported.

    MARK NELKE/Press Baylie Hindle of Sandpoint dives back to first base as Mia Kesner of Lakeland applies the tag on Saturday in Rathdrum.