POCATELLO - Timberlake was one bad inning away Friday from the chance to play for a state championship at the state 3A softball tournament at Ward Field.

The Tigers beat Sugar-Salem 2-1 in the first round, then gave up seven runs in the second inning of a 7-2 loss to Homedale in the semifinals Friday afternoon.

"They had a couple good hits, but we had all three of our errors in that inning, and we couldn't battle back after that," Timberlake coach Mike Menti said.

Timberlake (19-6) plays Kimberly (20-5) today at 10 a.m. PDT for third place.

St. Maries bounced back from a 10-0 loss to Fruitland with an 8-4 victory over Snake River. St. Maries (11-10) plays Sugar-Salem (14-5) today at 10 a.m. for the consolation title.

Timberlake 2, Sugar-Salem 1: Nicole Cameron of Timberlake struck out 12 in a two-hitter. Kimber Choffin of Sugar-Salem struck out 13 in a three-hitter.

"It was quite the pitchers' duel," Menti said. "It was just whoever could punch that run across was going to win that first game."

That turned out to be Timberlake, which broke a 1-all tie in the sixth. Kody Kuykendall reached on an error, then stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. With two out, Halee Edelblute grounded to the pitcher and Kuykendall raced for home. The pitcher threw home instead of to first for the out, and Kuykendall slid under the tag for the go-ahead run.

Timberlake 100 001 0 - 2 3 2

Sugar-Salem 001 000 0 - 1 2 2

Nicole Cameron and Ashlei Jerome; Kimber Choffin and Averi Schwendiman. W - Cameron (19-5). L - Chaffin.

HITS: TL - Kuykendall, Edelblute, Cameron. SS - Choffin, Richards. 2B - Choffin. 3B - Edelblute.

Homedale 10, Timberlake 3: Bryce Osborn's two-run homer triggered the seven-run second for the Trojans.

Homedale 072 010 0 - 10 7 1

Timberlake 101 010 0 - 3 6 3

Marissa Ensley and Taylor Thomas; Nicole Cameron, Sydnie Malloy (6) and Ashlei Jerome. W - Ensly. L - Cameron (19-6).

HITS: Home - Nash, Long, Kelly 2, Osborn, Thomas 2. TL - Kuykendall, Jerome, Edelblute 2, Neal, Moffit. 2B - Jerome, Edelblute 2. 3B - Thomas. HR - Osborn.

Fruitland 10, St. Maries 0: Ambrea Cuellar struck out seven in a two-hitter for Fruitland.

Tia Asbury singled up the middle on the second pitch of the game. Marlee Masterson singled two outs later, but the Lumberjacks couldn’t score. That was their best threat.

“We just got deflated in that first inning,” St. Maries coach Todd Bitterman said.

St. Maries 000 00 — 0 2 2

Fruitland 103 24 — 10 12 0

Tia Asbury and Brittany Nelson; Ambrea Cuellar and Jarica Martarano. W — Cuellar. L — Asbury (6-8).

HITS: SM — Asbury, Masterson. Fru — Rule, Phillips 2, Barger 3, Martarano 2, Cuellar 3, Robinson. 2B — Barger, Martarano, Cuellar. 3B — Martarano.

St. Maries 8, Snake River 4: Asbury went 3 for 4 and scored three runs. Dusti Huddleston had three RBIs, two on a fourth-inning triple.

“We put the ball on the ground and made things happen, which was huge — which didn’t happen in the first game,” Bitterman said.

Snake River 000 004 0 — 4 8 4

St. Maries 310 400 x — 8 8 3

Alyssa Delaney, Erica Ramirez (6) and Baily Simper; Tia Asbury and Brittany Nelson. W — Asbury (7-8). L — Delaney.

HITS: SR — Sleinbaugh, Simper, Allen 2, Herrick, Jones, Delany, Wood. SM — Asbury 3, Huddleston, Cummings 2, Masterson, Nelson. 2B — Asbury. 3B — Asbury, Huddleston.