PREP SOFTBALL: Lake City advances to face Coeur d'Alene for district title

COEUR d’ALENE — Falling behind by five runs before they even batted did not deter the Lake City Timberwolves on Thursday. 

Lake City responded with six runs in its first at-bat, finished with three home runs and defeated the visiting Post Falls Trojans 16-10 in the loser-out first round of the 6A District 1 tournament. 

Junior Tabitha Lopez hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning and finished with five RBIs for second-seeded Lake City (15-5), which plays top-seeded Coeur d’Alene (18-0) in a best-of-3 series for the district title, starting Saturday at noon at Coeur d’Alene High.

“The team showed fight today,” Lake City coach Jordyn Hensley said. “When we got down in the first, our offense stepped into the box with resolve to gain back the momentum. It was fun to watch. That’s the kind of fight we need to take into Saturday’s game.” 

Post Falls finished 9-13. 

Sophomore Brooklyn Caan finished 3 for 3 with four RBIs and two runs scored for Lake City, and her two-run double in the second inning put the Timberwolves up 8-6. 

In the first inning, KaeLee Kolden hit a two-run homer for Lake City, Lopez added a two-run double and Mia Kesner delivered a two-run blast. 

Natalie Stroud and Kulani Peahu had RBI doubles, and Rylan Morrison and Lexie McCarroll had run-scoring singles in Post Falls’ five-run first. 

Morrison and Riley Carpenter hit solo homers for Post Falls in the sixth inning. McCarroll and Jaya Felix each finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs. 

Post Falls     510    202    0    —    10    16    2 

Lake City     625    030    x    —    16    13    2 

Lexie McCarroll, Rylan Morrison (1) and McKenna Zimmerman; Madeline Peterson and Kyla Smith. 

HITS: PF — Zimmerman 2, Stroud 2, Peahu 2, Morrison 2, Felix 3, Carpenter, McCarroll 3, Fanning. LC — Waterhouse, Bracy, Kolden 2, DeMent, Peterson 2, Caan 3, Lopez 2, Kesner. 2B — Felix, Stroud, Peahu 2, Lopez, Caan. HR — Carpenter, Morrison, Kesner, Kolden, Lopez. 

Lakeland 11-12 

Moscow 0-2 

RATHDRUM — Junior Abigail Helmholz struck out eight in a one-hitter in the opener, and senior Delilah Zimmerman drove in four runs in the nightcap as the Hawks swept the Bears in a 5A Inland Empire League doubleheader at Lakeland High. 

Junior Ada Blakemore drove in four runs and Zimmerman had three RBIs in the opener for Lakeland (19-4, 11-1 5A IEL), which clinched the league title on Tuesday at Lewiston. 

Zimmerman hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning in the second game for Lakeland. 

Moscow is 2-22, 1-11. 

Moscow and Lakeland will meet again next Friday in a loser-out game in the 5A Region 1 tournament at Lakeland High at 1 p.m. 

FIRST GAME 

Moscow    000    00    —    0    1    4 

Lakeland    031    43    —    11    13    0 

Game called with nobody out in bottom of 5th inning due to 10-run rule. 

Kasey Susa and Madilyn Hennrich; Abigail Helmholz and Delilah Zimmerman. 

HITS: Mos — Moore. LL — Blakemore 2, Rickman, Zimmerman 2, Drake 2, Ra. Dutton, Re. Dutton, Helmholz 2, Dewey 2. 2B — Blakemore 2, Zimmerman. 

SECOND GAME 

Moscow    001    10    —    2    4    6 

Lakeland    723    0x    —    12    9    0 

Game called in 5th inning due to 10-run rule. 

Taylor Williams and Aubrey Vogl; Reese Dutton and Katie Dewey. 

HITS: Mos — Hennrich, Williams, Barnes, Vogl. LL — Gonzales, Zimmerman 2, Drake, Ra. Dutton, Re. Dutton, Evans, Chapple. 2B — Zimmerman, Re. Dutton, Ra. Dutton. 3B — Barnes. HR — Hennrich, Zimmerman. 

Timberlake 12 

St. Maries 1 

ST. MARIES — Sophomore Shae Jones pitched a no-hitter with 20 strikeouts as the Tigers wrapped up the regular season with a victory over the Lumberjacks. 

“Pretty dominating performance by Shae today,” Timberlake coach Jenny Whaley said. “Our bats came alive today too, so that was awesome to see. We need to keep this momentum going to districts next week.” 

Jones, who walked none, also went 3 for 4 and drove in three runs for Timberlake (10-9). Karly Statkus went 4 for 5 with four RBIs, and Prestyn Gardner was 3 for 5 with three RBIs. 

St. Maries (4-10) scored its lone run on one of Timberlake’s three errors in the seventh inning. 

Timberlake plays host to Bonners Ferry on Monday in the first game of a best-of-3 series for the 4A District 1 title. If Timberlake wins on Monday, the series is over and the Tigers are on to state. 

St. Maries plays host to Grangeville on Saturday in the regular-season finale. 

Timberlake     001    503    3    —    12    17    3 

St. Maries     000    000    1    —    1    0    6 

Shae Jones and Sophia Harrington; Lyssa Watkins and Taryn Brebner. 

HITS: TL — Montes, Gonzales, Jones 3, Landon 2, Gardner 3, Statkus 4, Harrington, Perkl, Linder. SM — none. 2B — Landon, Statkus.