STATE 4A SOFTBALL: Lakeland brings home trophy for fourth

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

POST FALLS — The Vallivue Falcons jumped for joy as they celebrated their 3-2 walk-off victory over the Lakeland Hawks in the fourth-place game of the state 4A softball tournament Saturday morning at Post Falls High.

But the Hawks had reason to celebrate, too.

Lakeland’s fourth-place trophy was the Hawks’ first trophy from state since 2013, when Lakeland was runner-up to Bishop Kelly.

And it was only the Hawks’ third trophy from state since moving up to 4A in 2005.

“It feels really good … especially just to win a game at state,” Lakeland senior outfielder Kyleigh Dyer said. “This year, we had a very good dynamic going, our coaches were supportive, our team was supportive. If someone was down, someone picked them up.”

After losing 13-3 in the opener to Bishop Kelly on Friday, Lakeland beat Blackfoot and Pocatello, then went toe-to-toe with Vallivue of Caldwell, which lost just 9-6 to BK in the second round.

“I’m thrilled to death with just getting to state to begin with, (that) was the first goal, winning a game at state was the second goal,” first-year Lakeland coach Dwayne Curry said. “Everything on top of that was gravy. To come out of state 2-2, I couldn’t be more proud of a group of girls.

And it sets a tone for this program that, we just have to hit next year. We set the bar pretty high, and we’re going to keep hitting that bar. We’re going to jump over it next year.”

Lakeland out-hit Vallivue, but the Falcons manufactured a run in the bottom of the seventh.

With one out, Angelina Gonzalez reached on an error, then stole second on a close play. Keelie Hancock lined a single to left center, and Gonzalez scored easily.

“There’s nothing that I can point out that we did wrong,” Curry said of the game. “We played a pretty solid game all the way around.”

Sophomore catcher Payton Sterling went 3 for 4 for Lakeland, which finishes 16-14. Senior shortstop Harley See was 2 for 4.

Lakeland tied the game at 1 in the third when See singled, and scored all the way from first base on a deep single to right by Cienna Walls.

Vallivue went up 2-1 in the fifth, but Lakeland knotted it in the sixth when Sterling singled and scored on a single to right by Dyer.

“I think it shows we have determination, and we want to be the best, and we’re a good team, and we can fight; we can get punched, but then we can punch back,” Dyer said of the Hawks bouncing back from a 10-run loss in its state opener to win twice, then push a third team to the last inning. “And I do think that a lot of the teams in the south will know us now, rather than just thinking they can beat us.”

Vallivue (22-10) went on to eliminate Twin Falls (19-12) 8-4 in the third-place game, before falling 23-1 to Bishop Kelly (25-4) 23-1 in the state title game. It was BK’s third straight state title.

Lakeland 001 001 0 — 2 9 5

Vallivue 100 010 1 — 3 5 0

1 out when winning run scored.

Haylee Smit and Payton Sterling; Britney Henderson and Keyton Erickson.

HITS: LL — See 2, Walls, Sterling 3, Smit, Dyer. VV — Gonzalez, Hancock, Magallion 2, Henderson. 2B — See.