STATE HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENTS: Coeur d'Alene bows out in 5A; Timberlake wins three, now among final three

5A 

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

POST FALLS — For the Coeur d’Alene Vikings, momentum changed with the dawn of a new day.

The eighth-seeded Vikings were fired up after beating defending state champion and top seed Owyhee of Meridian on Thursday night in the first round of the state 5A softball tournament at Post Falls High.

That momentum, however, didn’t carry over to Friday, where Coeur d’Alene fell 7-5 to fourth-seeded Timberline of Boise in the second round, then was eliminated by an 11-0 loss to sixth-seeded Capital of Boise in a loser-out game.

The Vikings, at state for the third straight year, but a younger team this year with four freshman starters, finished 20-7.

“In the Owyhee game we got so pumped up in that one inning, that we couldn’t get something going in these games. It was a little rough,” said Coeur d’Alene junior second baseman Chloe Burke, playing in her third state tournament. “I’m so proud of everyone; I think everyone played amazing these past two days.”

Timberline 7, Coeur d’Alene 5: Held to two hits through three innings, the Wolves broke loose with four home runs in the next two innings, scoring all seven runs via the long ball.

Bre Degen and Glori Belle Sackett each hit two-run homers in the fourth inning. Mallorie Casch led off the fifth with a homer, and Arianna Lough added a two-run shot later in the inning.

“You know, our girls have been doing a great job timing ‘em up,” second-year Timberline coach Dave Craig said. “The pitcher, we just got ‘er timed up.”

Trailing 7-1 after five innings, Coeur d’Alene kept battling. 

Abbey Linder led off the top of the sixth with her second homer in two days, and Preslie McLaughlin scored on Sophia Vignale’s infield single to pull the Vikings within 7-4. 

In the top of the seventh, freshman. Molly Nelson led off with a single and scored on a fielder’s choice. The Vikings had runners at second and third with one out, but Timberline junior left-hander Delaney Wright struck out the next two batters to end the game. Wright finished with eight strikeouts and walked two.

“That’s a good squad right there, a very good squad,” Craig said of Coeur d’Alene.  “Probably the best eighth seed you’ll ever see. That was a battle all the way to the end.”

Coeur d’Alene    000    013    1    —    5    6    1

Timberline    000    430    x    —    7    9    5

Jenna Davenport, Leah Nordman (5) and Kyndal Bridge; Delaney Wright and Bella Bonacorsi.

HITS: Cd’A — Nelson 2, Linder 2, Knutson, Vignale. TL — Lauber, Casch 2, Degen, Lough 2, Driever 2, Sackett. 2B — Knutson. HR — Linder, Lough, Degen, Sackett, Casch. 

Capital 11, Coeur d’Alene 0: The Vikings committed two errors in the first inning, and the Eagles made them pay when Tyra Price hit a three-run homer. 

Lizzy Turpen’s solo shot in the second upped Capital’s lead to 4-0. 

The Eagles ended the game on the 10-run rule when Stella Rensvold smashed a three-run walk-off homer to center field in the fifth.

“I think we were fired up in the first one; we were fired up and ready to win,” Coeur d’Alene coach Bobbi Darretta said. “And even starting the second game, we still had our hopes up. But then we got out there and it was one thing after another that just could not go right for us. We’re also high-ball pitchers, and if you have an umpire that’s not calling the high pitch a strike, that really works against us. A lot of these Boise teams hit low pitches. Every time we put it in their area, it gets taken out.”

Coeur d’Alene was held to one hit, a bunt single by sophomore Sophia Vignale with one out in the third inning.

Capital, which lost to Owyhee 13-7 later Friday, finished fourth, bringing home its first trophy in program history.

Coeur d’Alene    000    00    —    0    1    5

Capital    310    43    —    11    11    2

Game called in fifth inning due to 10-run rule.

Jenna Davenport and Kyndal Bridge; Syd Garber and Olivia Stone.

HITS: Cd’A — Vignale. Cap — Turpen 2, Davis, Price 4, Stone 2, Rensvold, Castell. 2B — Stone. HR — Rensvold, Price, Turpen.

3A

Timberlake wins three, assured of top-three finish

MOSCOW — After getting no-hit in their opener by top-seeded Kimberly, the eighth-seeded Timberlake Tigers won three times on Friday to assure themselves of a trophy at the state 3A softball tournament at the Moscow School District Community Playfields. 

With senior catcher Logan Walsh hitting six home runs on the day, Timberlake pounded fifth seed Parma 22-12 in a loser-out game, then eliminated No. 3 Gooding 6-1 and No. 7 Teton 9-5.

“We were just two different teams from yesterday to today,” Timberlake coach Casi Lupinacci said. “Our offense carried us all day long. Our pitchers threw well, and our defense played well in the second and third game. It was a long day, but it was awesome.”

In one day, Walsh broke the 3A tournament record for home runs with her six. The previous tourney record was four.

“Historic is a word I can think of,” Lupinacci said. “Holy cow, and behind the plate, she was nails. She was out of her mind; it was awesome.”

Timberlake (17-9) will play No. 2 Homedale (18-6) today at 9 a.m., with the loser finishing third, and the winner advancing to the championship round to face Kimberly (23-5), needing to beat the Bulldogs twice for the title.

“If we continue, and do what we did today, we’ve got a good shot at it,” Lupinacci said. “I think we turned some heads today.”

Timberlake 22, Parma 12: After getting no-hit in their opener by top-seeded Kimberly, the Tigers broke loose with five home runs in the loser-out game against the Panthers.

Logan Walsh hit two home runs and finished 4 for 6 with five RBIs and three runs scored for Timberlake. Marissa Needs also homered twice, and was 3 for 4 with five RBIs and five runs scored. Jesi Kitchin homered and went 3 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs.

Casey Whaley, who struck out seven in five innings, went 4 for 5 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored.

Timberlake    130    0(10)4    4    — 22    20    10

Parma    400    044    0    —    12    12    5

Casey Whaley, Acacia Pecor (6) and Logan Walsh; Maya Jensen, Lakota Leppert (5), Wesli Crockett (5) and Zoey Heffelfinger. 

HITS: TL — Dykes 2, Kitchin 3, Walsh 4, Decor 3, Needs 3, Whaley 4, McCune. Parma — Leppert 2, Jensen, Crockett 2, Heffelfinger 2, Anderson 2, Bunker 1, Morgan 2. 2B — Whaley, Walsh, Needs, Jensen. HR — Walsh 2, Needs 2, Kitchin, Anderson, Bunker, Leppert.

Timberlake 6, Gooding 1: Walsh hit two home runs and finished 3 for 3 with four RBIs and two runs scored for Timberlake. Kitchin and Alillah Dykes each had two hits, and Acacia Pecor struck out 13 and scattered six hits for the Tigers.

Timberlake    100    131    0    —    6    9    1

Gooding    100    000    0    —    1    6    2

Acacia Pecor and Logan Walsh; Kathryn Sliman, Mae Durham (5) and Mady Morris.

HITS: TL — Dykes 2, Kitchin 2, Walsh 3, Pecor, Needs. Good — Celaya 3, Gillette, Norris, Brunson. 2B — Kitchin, Celaya. HR — Walsh 2.

Timberlake 9, Teton 5: Walsh hit two more homers and finished 4 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs scored for the Tigers. For the day, she was 11 for 14 with 12 RBIs.

Pecor went 4 for 5, Needs 3 for 5 for the Tigers.

Timberlake    203    102    1    —    9    12    0

Teton    200    102    0    —    5    10    5

Casey Whaley, Acacia Pecor (3) and Logan Walsh; Gracie Kincaid, Calli Wombacher (2), Jimmi Williamson (5) and unknown.

HITS: TL — Dykes, Walsh 4, Pecor 4, Needs 3. Teton — Kincaid 2, Webster, Anderson 2, Wombacher 2, Woolstenhulme, Bagley 2. 2B — Pecor, Walsh, Wombacher, Woolstenhulme, Webster. HR — Walsh 2, Kincaid.

LATE THURSDAY

KIMBERLY 16, TIMBERLAKE 0

Timberlake     000    00    —    0    0    4

Kimberly    328    3x    —    16    13    1

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

Acacia Pecor and Logan Walsh; Mallory Kelsey, Addi Clark (5) and Emma Chavez.

HITS: TL — none. Kim — Chavez, Trappen, Clark 2, Kelsey 2, Hanchey, Cowper 3, Muchow, Benson, Dille. 2B — Chavez. 3B — Cowper. HR — Clark.

    Courtesy photo Coeur d'Alene pitcher Jenna Davenport catches a bunt pop-up as she collides with catcher Kyndal Bridge against Timberline in the second round of the 5A state softball tournament Friday at Post Falls High.