RATHDRUM — The Sandpoint Softball team fell to Moscow 20-2 in five innings at Lakeland High School on Wednesday in a Class 4A District 1 loser-out game.

“This is just a part of the process of rebuilding,” Sandpoint softball coach Elizabeth-Hawkins Williams said. “We’re trying to get our players more and more experience.”

The Bears brought home 11 runners in the opening inning. The Bulldogs went through two pitchers in the first, Kivia Barlow and Cresanna Authier.

Mayle Ducken came in and pitched in the third inning. Hawkins-Williams was pleased with the poise Ducken showed.

“She did really well in a district tournament atmosphere,” she said. “I’m very excited to see what that experience will do for her when she comes back next year.”

Sandpoint also committed eight errors throughout the contest.

“The pressure and the nerves got to us,” Hawkins-Williams said. “We weren’t able to bounce back from it.”

The Bulldogs registered seven hits, one of which was a 2-run shot from Ashlyn Darling in the top of the third inning.

“We hit okay,” Hawkins-Williams said. “We were just too conservative. We were taking balls that were too low and we felt the pressure which ended up hurting us in the long run.”

Sandpoint finishes its season 2-19 overall and 1-13 in 4A Inland Empire League play. But according to Hawkins-Williams, work for next season has already begun.

“Everything starts in the offseason,” she said. “We have a very green team and now we’re looking to build from here with the players we have coming back. We’re looking at this as the starting point for next season.”

Hawkins-Williams is also proud of the players who were able to accomplish individual feats this season.

“I’m proud of the players who were able to accomplish their goals,” she said. “They put in a lot of time in the offseason to elevate their game and I’m very proud of their individual success.”

SANDPOINT 002 00 — 2 7 8

MOSCOW (11)52 2x — 20 11 1

Kivia Barlow, Cresanna Authier (1), Mayle Ducken (3) and Ashlyn Darling. M. Kees, A. Pochnik (4) and M. Hifell.

HITS: SPT Darling 2 Barlow 2, Authier, Ducken, Darling. MOS — Pochnik, Hifell, K.Kiblen 2, A. Branen, J. Rainer, A. Sparks, B. Fleischman, M. Kees, H Robertson 2. Robertson. 2B — Robertson 2, Kees. 3B — Robertson. HR — Darling, Hifell.