STATE HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL: Timberlake brings home third-place trophy in 3A

| May 19, 2024 1:17 AM

MOSCOW — After three straight wins on Friday to keep their season alive, the eighth-seeded Timberlake Tigers came up short in a slugfest Saturday, falling 16-12 to the No. 2 Homedale Trojans to finish third at the state 3A softball tournament at the Moscow School District Community Playfields.

Timberlake, playing in its 24th consecutive state tournament, finishes 17-10. It was the Tigers’ first trophy from state since 2021, when they took fourth.

“I’m proud of our kids; their grit was just amazing,” ninth-year Timberlake coach Casi Lupinacci said. “It’s never easy to come back from a first-game loss at state and win three in a row. It was a good end to the season.”

Senior catcher Logan Walsh went 3 for 4 with an RBI for Timberlake. Walsh, who set a state 3A tournament record with six home runs — all in the three games on Friday — went 14 for 20 in the tournament with 13 RBIs.

She had to come out of the game briefly on Saturday after getting hit in the kneecap by a pitch in the fourth inning. But she returned an inning later and collected her third hit of the day.

“I’m just glad she was able to end her senior year that way,” Lupinacci said.

Allilah Dykes, Jesi Kitchin, Acacia Pecor, Marissa Needs and Reese Allaway each had two hits for Timberlake.

Zane Hall hit a three-run homer in the first for Homedale (19-7).

“Overall, there wasn’t an extremely dominant pitcher, other than maybe Kimberly’s,” Lupinacci said. “Hitting has gotten so good in softball, sometimes it’s going to come down to who outhits the other.”

No. 1 seed Kimberly (24-5), which defeated Timberlake in the first round, beat Homedale 9-6 in the championship game. It was the Bulldogs’ second straight state title, and fourth overall.

Timberlake 006 211 2 — 12 14 3

Homedale 334 330 x — 16 8 2

Acacia Pecor and Logan Walsh, Amy McCune (4), Walsh (5); Olivia Asumendi, Dani Sitts (5) and Lily Trescott.

HITS: TL —Dykes 2, Kitchin 2, Walsh 3, Pecor 2, Needs 2, Cameron, Allaway 2. Home — Sitts 2, Larzelier, Asumendi, Hall, Miller, Quezada 2. 2B — Walsh, Kitchin, Asumendi. HR — Hall.

No. 7 seed Borah (18-10) of Boise won its first state title, beating No. 1 seed Owyhee (25-4) 12-8 in the second championship game at Post Falls High. Owyhee, which lost to eighth-seeded Coeur d’Alene in the first round, won four straight games in the losers bracket, then defeated Borah 6-1 to force a second title game.

At Coeur d’Alene High, No. 2 seed Pocatello (26-4) beat top seed and 13-time champion Bishop Kelly (23-5) twice in the championship round, 15-2 and 3-1, to win its first state championship.

No. 2 seed Cole Valley Christian (25-7-1) of Meridian stunned four-time defending champion and top seed Malad (27-2-1) twice in the championship round, winning 8-2 and 8-7 at the Community Fields in Orofino to claim its first state title in program history.