COEUR d’ALENE — Lakeland waited four years to get back to the state softball tournament. The Hawks waited more than 24 hours to play their postponed opening-round game.

And then, after only five innings, their trip to the 4A softball finals ended abruptly as Pocatello outslugged the Hawks 15-9 on Saturday afternoon at Lake City High School.

“Like a lot of other teams this weekend, we got short-changed because of the weather,” Lakeland coach Colleen Bevaqua said.

“I mean, give (Pocatello) credit — they had some big hits and took advantage of our mistakes,” she added. “But in a seven-inning game, and a double-elimination tournament, who knows what could have happened. It’s tough.”

The Indians (17-10-1) wasted little time scoring, opening a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on Hanna Evans’ 3-run homer.

Evans, who also earned the win on the mound for Pocatello, was intentionally walked in the top of the second. The following hitter, fellow senior Alyssa Winn, foiled the strategy by belting a three-run double off the right-field fence, helping the Indians open an 8-0 lead.

Lakeland responded with a big inning of its own, plating seven runs in the bottom of the inning. One-out hits from Harley See and Alaina Pruitt started the rally, a couple Pocatello errors extended it, then RBI singles from Taylor Woolley, Allison Russum and Haylee Smit pulled the Hawks within 8-7 after two innings.

“I’m proud of my girls for hitting well and responding after they got off to a quick start,” Bevaqua said.

Evans hit another 3-run homer in the third, helping Pocatello open a 13-7 lead, but the Hawks scraped out a couple more runs in the bottom of the inning on Destry Brack’s RBI groundout and Woolley’s two-out RBI double.

From that point, Evans buckled down on the mound, getting three of her five strikeouts in the final two shutout innings to keep Lakeland at bay and advance Pocatello to a semifinal game against Idaho Falls.

Evans and Winn combined for nine RBIs for the Indians, who took advantage of eight walks to go along with their 10 hits.

Woolley went 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI for Lakeland (10-16) and Brack, Harley See and Hailey Gosch each had two hits for the Hawks.

“I’m very proud of my girls, and especially my seniors, for making it this far,” Bevaqua said. “They had a great season ... it’s just really a bummer to have it end like this.”

Pocatello 355 02 — 15 10 2

Lakeland 072 00 — 9 13 1

Hanna Evans and Alyssa Winn, Taylor Woolley and Mia O’Hara. W — Evans. L — Woolley.

HITS: Pocatello, Winn 3, Evans 2, Palmer 2, Campbell 2, Garza; LL, Woolley 3, Brack 2, Gosch 2, See 2, Pruitt, Smit, Russum, Bursch. 2B — Winn, Palmer, Pruitt, Gosch, Woolley, Brack. HR — Evans 2.