PREP SOFTBALL: Lake City hands Coeur d'Alene first loss in district playoff series opener

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

COEUR d’ALENE — The Lake City Timberwolves hadn’t beaten the Coeur d’Alene Vikings in their four matchups in 6A Inland Empire League softball play. 

But that mattered little on a warm Saturday afternoon, where second-seeded Lake City jumped out on top early and handed top-seeded Coeur d’Alene its first loss, 5-3 in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the District 1 title at Coeur d’Alene High’s Larry Schwenke Field. 

“I think we finally came out, and we took a deep breath, and we played our game, and played loose,” fourth-year Lake City coach Jordyn Hensley said. “It was awesome to see them put the pieces together, go up there with confidence and authority at the plate, and I just love it.” 

Game 2 is Monday at 4 p.m. at Lake City. A deciding game would be Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Coeur d’Alene. The winner of the series advances to state next weekend in Coeur d’Alene; the loser can still make it to state by winning a play-in game next Saturday. 

Lake City is bidding for its first trip to state since 2019. Coeur d’Alene has been to state each of the past four seasons. 

"Today was a tough outing for the Vikings; we haven’t had a game in a week and it showed," Coeur d'Alene coach Bobbi Darretta said. "But there are multiple things I’m proud of."

KaeLee Kolden, who has signed with McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, hit an RBI triple in the second inning for Lake City (16-5), and senior Karsyn DeMent followed with a run-scoring single to make it 4-0. 

"Huge,” Hensley said of getting an early lead. “I think that just shifts the momentum a little bit and gives our girls confidence, going up to the plate, going out on defense when you’ve got a couple of runs. You can take a deep breath and just play.”   

After Coeur d’Alene (18-1) chipped away and closed to within 4-3, Kolden delivered an RBI single in the top of the sixth. 

Junior Madeline Peterson struck out seven and scattered seven hits for Lake City, and got the game’s final out via strikeout. 

Macy Waterhouse went 3 for 4 and scored twice for the T-Wolves. She led off the game with the single, and Lake City scored twice in the first.

“Macy was lights out at leadoff today," Hensley said. “Lou (Alexandria ‘Lou’ Bracy) had a great bunt when we needed it. Obviously Madeline pitched a heckuva game. Props to her for keeping them off-balance, even though they’ve seen her multiple times.” 

Jenna Davenport struck out 13 and walked five for Coeur d’Alene. Freshman Savannah Stevens put the Vikings on the board with an RBI triple in the bottom of the second, and Adi Wenglikowski followed with a run-scoring single. 

Stevens singled in Kyndal Bridge in the third to pull the Vikings within a run. 

Molly Nelson and Davenport singled for Coeur d’Alene in the top of the seventh, and the Vikings had runners on first and second with two down before Peterson recorded the final out. 

"We just couldn’t string hits together," Darretta said. "Madeline Peterson pitched a great game. However, Monday is a new day and we’re going to put it behind us and go after it one game at a time."

Coeur d'Alene is ranked second in 6A by MaxPreps, behind Owyhee. Lake City is ranked fourth, after Eagle.

"We keep telling them, play our game and good things happen,” Hensley said. “I think we saw that today; I was really excited with the way we competed.” 

Lake City     220    010    0    —    5    7    0 

Coeur d’Alene     021    000    0    —    3    7    4 

Madeline Peterson and Kyla Smith; Jenna Davenport and Abbey Linder. 

HITS: LC — Waterhouse 3, Kolden 2, DeMent, Lopez. Cd’A — Nelson, Davenport 2, Stevens 2, Wenglikowski, Dudley. 3B — Kolden, Stevens. 

Grangeville 19 

St. Maries 4 

ST. MARIES — Brooklyn Scheffelmaier and Taryn Brebner had two hits each for the host Lumberjacks in the loss to the Bulldogs in the Central Idaho League and regular-season finale for both teams. 

On Wednesday, St. Maries (4-11, 3-9 CIL) will play at top-seeded Orofino; and third seed Grangeville (9-13, 7-5) will travel to second-seeded Kellogg, in the first round of the 3A District 1-2 tournament. 

Grangeville     052    39    —    19    10    5 

St. Maries     200    20    —    4    6    13 

Game called after 5 innings due to 10-run rule.

Kalli Klement and Autumn Long; Lyssa Watkins, Letty Smith (4) and Taryn Brebner. 

HITS: Grange — Harris 2, Vanderwall, Long, Barger 2, M. Klement 3, MacGregor. SM — Watkins, Scheffelmaier 2, Brebner 2, McMannis. 2B — M. Klement 2. 

    MARK NELKE/Press Coeur d'Alene junior Kyndal Bridge slides home safely as Lake City senior catcher Kyla Smith awaits the throw on Saturday at Larry Schwenke Field.

    Courtesy photo Lake City junior pitcher Madeline Peterson (1) celebrates after striking out the last batter as the Timberwolves beat the Coeur d’Alene Vikings 5-3 at Larry Schwenke Field on Saturday afternoon, in Game 1 of the best-of-3 district championship series. The two teams meet again Monday afternoon at Lake City High.