Stranger's plot wins for CdA

With the score knotted in the bottom of the sixth inning, Patti Stranger's plan was simple.

Get on, take an extra base on the sacrifice and score the winning run on a fly ball to center.

In Coeur d'Alene's 2-1, opening-round victory over Blackfoot (22- 7) at the State A-1 high school softball tournament, the Vikings' leadoff hitter had things all figured out. Then she made good on the plan she explained to coach Larry Beiber before strutting to the plate in the sixth.

"She told me exactly what she was going to do, and she did it," Bieber said. "We found a way to manufacture that run when we needed it."

Stranger teamed up with No. 3 hitter Blake Hoorelbeke to score both Coeur d'Alene runs on identical sacrifice flies to center field, one in the first inning and the other in the sixth. CdA slipped past Blackfoot on just two hits.

In the sixth, Stranger singled, sped clear to third on Cassandra Vig's sacrifice bunt and scored on Hoorelbeke's fly out.

Pitching in her fourth consecutive state tournament for Bieber, Hoorelbeke also allowed only two hits, both coming in the fifth inning, when she admitted to losing focus. The run was earned, just the 11th off her pitching in 128 innings this season.

"They came right out and swung at the ball and were confident against someone they've never faced," Hoorelbeke said of the Broncos. "I don't know if we were getting too confident or what was going on in our heads, but I knew what I did wrong."

The Vikings (24-3) never trailed in the contest, but struggled some with the solid pitching of Blackfoot senior Sarah Mihelish.

Comparing Mihelish's pitching style to that of Lake City ace Bobbi Daretta, Coeur d'Alene hitters were forced into their grind-out, runner-advance game.

"She changed her speed really well and had a good command of the strike zone," Bieber said. "She's as good of a pitcher as we've seen all year."

Blackfoot's opportunity came in the top of the fifth when senior outfielder Marci Mickelson broke up Hoorelbeke's no-hit bid with a single to shallow right. With runners on first and third bases and two out, leadoff hitter Kristin Donyes drove one over Stranger's head in center field, scoring Mickelson.

But the Blackfoot runner on first, catcher Katie Jamison, hesitated after rounding third and was tagged out at the plate to kill the rally.

"I had her winding up, going all the way, and she got halfway (home), stopped and looked," Blackfoot coach Mike Torgerson said. "I have no idea why."

The Vikings advance to today's second-round game against the Highland Rams of Pocatello, who shut out Mountain Home 6-0. The first pitch is scheduled for noon. Blackfoot drops into the losers bracket to face Mountain Home.

A-2

Casi Reisenauer had an RBI double and Molly Tiemeyer added a runscoring triple in Timberlake's three-run third inning and the Tigers went on to post a 4-1 victory over Payette in the opening round of the state tournament in Idaho Falls.

Lisa Fox upped her record to 11-3 for the Tigers. Timberlake takes on South Freemont today.

Bear Lake edged Lakeland 4-3 in other A-2 action. No details were available.

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