In what has been a learning curve of a start to the spring high school softball and baseball season, with youth and inexperience being the key factor, one local team has stepped forward to “rep” Sanders and Mineral counties.

That would be the Thompson Falls-Noxon Lady “Devil-Hawks”? 

The co-op team opened the season looking for the right mix of players as the younger talent on the team gets some varsity experience. 

After opening the week with a crucial 11-1 Western conference win over Sanders County rival Plains-Hot Springs’ “Savage-Trotters?” this past Monday, T Falls is settling into a groove behind its all-star players led by seniors Sarah Koskela, Olivia Fitchett and Teagan Saner. 

They wrapped up a two-victory week this past Saturday with a 13-1 win over Bonners Ferry, Idaho in the Idaho panhandle town. 

T Falls scored a trio of runs in the top of the first to set the tone for the game. The Devil Hawks used a two-run single by Marley Robinson in the top of the initial inning to build a 3-0 early game lead. 

Fitchett shut out the Lady Badgers in the bottom of the inning, then pushed across six runs in the top of the second to emphasize their lead. Fitchett was instrumental in the six-run outbreak, knocking in two runs with a triple.  Fitchett came home on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-0. 

Callie McGillis slapped a double that drove in two more runs before the inning was over, then scored on a fielder’s choice by Navaeh Christensen that increased their advantage to 9-0 heading into the bottom of the second. 

The Lady Badgers broke the shutout bid in the bottom of the second, leaving T Falls with a 9-1 lead. 

Fitchett then shut down the Bonners Ferry offense the rest of the way, while T Falls added four insurance runs in the top of the fourth to preserve the five-inning victory for the visitors. 

Christensen wound up with a team-high four RBIs while going 1-2 at the plate.  Her lone hit was a run producing double. 

Koskela was 3-4 in at bats, including a pair of doubles, and Fitchett finished 2-3, including the two-run triple she smacked in the opening inning.  McGill had a double in three trips to the plate and picked up a double in the win that pushed T Falls-Noxon to 4-6 on the year as the season nears the halfway point. 

Fitchette had her best outing on the mound so far this season as she held the Lady Badgers to three hits while striking out seven and walking three in her five-inning, complete game. 

Next up for Thompson Falls and company is a game tonight (April 15) in Eureka against the conference foe Lady Lions.  The Devil Hawks take to their home field Saturday afternoon (April 19) for a game against Troy.