POST FALLS - Lakeland has been a regular at state softball, but it's been a while since the Hawks are in this position - one win away from playing for a state title.

With a nice mix of clutch hitting, effective pitching and solid defense, Lakeland won both its games Friday at the state 4A softball tournament at Post Falls High.

Friday afternoon, Kristin Klopatek pitched a three-hit shutout and Lakeland made a first-inning run stand up in a 1-0 victory over Blackfoot.

Earlier, Bekah Kastning hit a pair of two-run homers, including a walk-off shot with two out in the bottom of the seventh, as Lakeland stunned Kuna 4-3.

"We have a lot of seniors, and we knew that we could get the job done," said Klopatek, one of the core of four seniors. "I think we have a lot more energy this year, and we were way more confident going in."

Lakeland (17-8) will play Bishop Kelly (19-5) of Boise today at 10 a.m. The winner advances to the championship game of the double-elimination tournament at 2 p.m., while the loser plays in a loser-out game at noon. BK has won eight state titles since 1997, the last coming in 2007.

Lakeland 1, Blackfoot 0: Lauren Schwalbach led off the game for Lakeland with a triple up the gap in right center. Erin Ogden smashed one back at pitcher Jessica Capson, who stuck her bare hand down at the ball. It struck her on the tips of the fingers of her pitching hand, jamming them. Capson, who has signed with Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., managed to reach down and throw to first and retire Ogden, but Schawalbach scampered home on the throw.

MorningRose Tobey, who pitched Blackfoot's 10-2 win over Canyon Ridge earlier in the day, came on and pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings of relief.

Meanwhile Klopatek, mixing up her curveball, screwball and changeup, had Blackfoot hitters off balance most of the game. And the few balls the Broncos hit hard were gloved by Kastning at shortstop, Schwalbach at second and Emily Vanderhoof in center.

"My pitcher came up big that second game," Lakeland coach Colleen Bevacqua said. "I'm just really proud of my team, coming out and working hard and working together. And our defense was phenomenal that second game. They just really worked hard, and it's paying off."

Blackfoot coach Matt Chavez said his batters lacked patience at the plate.

"The girls swung at crap pitches and didn't wait for their pitch," he said. "They pretty much went for the ones they shouldn't have."

The last time Lakeland won its first two games at state was in 2002, when the Hawks won the second of back-to-back state 3A titles. They've been to state seven times since then.

Lakeland 100 000 0 - 1 7 2

Blackfoot 000 000 0 - 0 3 0

Kristin Klopatek and Tifani Schorzman; Jessica Capson, MorningRose Tobey (1) and Mattison Chavez. W - Klopatek (16-7). L - Capson.

HITS: LL - Schwalbach, Kastning, Schorzman, Prockish, Langenderfer, Bodak 2. Black - A. Beers, Clarke 2. 2B - Schorzman. 3B - Schwalbach.

Lakeland 4, Kuna 3: After allowing hits to the first two batters she faced, Nicole Arizana of Kuna retired 15 of the next 16 batters she faced, and took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

That's when it all fell apart for the Kavemen.

Lauren Schwalbach dropped down a bunt and reached base on an error leading off the bottom of the sixth. One out later, Kastning lined a two-run homer over the fence in right-center field to give the Hawks life. Lakeland then loaded the bases, but a groundout ended the threat.

In the seventh, Schwalbach singled to center field with one out. One out later, in stepped Kastning, who lined a 1-1 pitch over the fence in left-center, and danced her way around the bases before she was mobbed at home plate.

"At the beginning of the game ... we were trying to make the game more complicated than it was," said Kastning, who has signed with NCAA Division II Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich. "I think that was just stressing us out. So by the last couple of innings we just let go - just watch the ball, just get the job done."

Arizana struck out nine for Kuna. Lakeland avenged an 18-6 beatdown by the Kavemen in the first round at state last year.

Kuna 001 020 0 - 3 8 2

Lakeland 000 002 2 - 4 7 2

Nicole Arizana and Aubree Newman; Kristin Klopatek and Tifani Schorzman. W - Klopatek (15-7). L - Arizana.

HITS: Kuna - Arizana, Callahan, Newman 2, Reyna, S. Nell, K. Nell, Mills. LL - Schwalbach 2, Ogden, Kastning 2, Prockish, Langenderfer. HR - Kastning 2 (6).

Times PDT

At Ramsey Park, Coeur d’Alene

Friday

Coeur d’Alene 6, Highland 1

Lake City 4, Rocky Mountain 1

Eagle 10, Centennial 1

Skyline 7, Boise 4

Highland 14, Centennial 5 (loser out)

Rocky Mountain 11, Boise 6 (loser out)

Coeur d’Alene 2, Eagle 1, 9 inn.

Lake City 10, Skyline 0, 6 inn.

Highland 10, Skyline 2 (loser out)

Eagle 6, Rocky Mountain 2 (loser out)

Saturday

Game 11 — Highland (22-6) vs. Eagle (26-2), 10 (loser-out)

Game 12 — Coeur d’Alene (20-8) vs. Lake City (26-0), 10 a.m. (winner to championship game)

Game 13 — Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, noon (loser is third place)

Game 14 — Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 2 p.m. (championship game)

Game 15 — Loser Game 14 vs. Winner Game 15, 4 (if necessary game)

At Post Falls High

Friday

Twin Falls 4, Skyview 0

Lakeland 4, Kuna 3

Bishop Kelly 7, Century 2

Blackfoot 10, Canyon Ridge 2

Skyview 11, Century 4 (loser out)

Kuna 10, Canyon Ridge 1 (loser out)

Bishop Kelly 15, Twin Falls 9

Lakeland 1, Blackfoot 0

Skyview 6, Blackfoot 5 (loser out)

Kuna 6, Twin Falls 4, fifth inning (game suspended due to weather, to be resumed today at 9 a.m.)

Saturday

Game 11 — Skyview (21-7) vs. Kuna-Twin Falls winner, 10 (loser out)

Game 12 — Bishop Kelly (19-5) vs. Lakeland (17-8), 10 a.m. (winner to championship game)

Game 13 — Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, noon (loser is third place)

Game 14 — Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 2 p.m. (championship game)

Game 15 — Loser Game 14 vs. Winner Game 15, 4 (if necessary game)

At North Park, Buhl

Friday

Buhl 7, Bear Lake 2

Homedale 14, Teton 1

Filer 17, Shelley 7

Fruitland 12, Timberlake 1

Bear Lake 7, Teton 5 (loser out)

Shelley 5, Timberlake 2 (loser out)

Homedale 13, Buhl 0

Fruidland 1, Filer 0

Filer 11, Bear Lake 9 (loser out)

Buhl 14, Shelley 0 (loser out)

Saturday

Game 11 — Filer vs. Buhl, 10 (loser-out)

Game 12 — Homedale 17-9 vs. Fruitland, 10 a.m. (winner to championship game)

Game 13 — Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, noon (loser is third place)

Game 14 — Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 2 p.m. (championship game)

Game 15 — Loser Game 14 vs. Winner Game 15, 4 (if necessary game)

at Orofino High

Friday

Malad 14, St. Maries 0

McCall-Donnelly 12, West Jefferson 2

Orofino 13, New Plymouth 3

Soda Springs 8, Wendell 2

West Jefferson 14, St. Maries 0 (loser out)

New Plymouth 13, Wendell 12 (loser out)

McCall-Donnelly 17, Malad 11

Orofino 16, Soda Springs 8

West Jefferson 12, Soda Springs 7 (loser out)

Malad 9, New Plymouth 8 (loser out)

Saturday

Game 11 — West Jefferson (13-6) vs. Malad, 10 (loser out)

Game 12 — McCall-Donnelly vs. Orofino, 10 a.m. (winner to championship game)

Game 13 — Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, noon (loser is third place)

Game 14 — Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 2 p.m. (championship game)

Game 15 — Loser Game 14 vs. Winner Game 15, 4 (if necessary game)