Trio of Bulldogs earn All-IEL softball honors

SANDPOINT — Sandpoint freshman Bri Baldree was a force both on the mound and at the plate, and her all-around play earned her Newcomer of the Year honors, joining sophomore catcher Sam Holland and senior infielder Lily Martin on the 4A All-Inland Empire League softball team, as voted on recently by the league’s coaches.

Baldree was the workhorse ace for the Bulldogs on the mound, going 9-8 with a 3.20 ERA, striking out a whopping 140 batters in 107 innings of work, while allowing opponents a paltry .260 batting average.

Perhaps more impressive was her work with a bat, hitting a robust .456 on the season, to go with 28 runs, 14 RBIs and 14 steals, the Bulldogs’ most productive player. She laced five doubles, four triples and a home run, while striking out just five times all season.

“Bri was a standout batter for us all season. Her exceptional hitting earned her the spot as the number three batter in the lineup,” said Bulldogs head coach Elizabeth Hawkins-Williams. “She learned a lot this season about mental toughness in the circle and grew tremendously as a pitcher and teammate. I think she has a bright future in this sport.”

Holland, a sophomore catcher, anchored the Bulldogs’ defense from behind the plate. Her plus arm can help shut down opposing running games, she handles pitchers well, and she had a .973 fielding percentage. She also batted .286 with 26 runs, 11 RBIs, seven steals and one home run.

“Sam was rock solid behind the plate. Our opponents have a tremendous amount of respect for her both on the field and in the batter’s box. She is also a great base runner, so anytime she was on base, I knew we would have chance of scoring a run,” described Hawkins-Williams. “She is a silent leader for the team, and as she grows as a catcher and a teammate, I think her leadership abilities will grow as well.”

Rounding out the Bulldogs to earn all-league honors was senior Lily Martin, who started the season in the outfield before moving to second base and short. She caught fire at the end of the season, stringing together a string of multi-hit games.

Martin finished with a .352 average, 20 runs, nine RBIs and seven steals.

“She had tenacity, drive and aggressiveness that we needed in that position. She earned the spot as leadoff batter and excelled in the post-season,” said Hawkins-Williams. “She was a leader for this team, because of her drive to win and her faith and belief in her teammates.”

4A All-Inland Empire League softball team

MVP — Katie Kasting, So., Lakeland.

Newcomer of the Year — Bri Baldree, Fr., Sandpoint.

Coach of the year — Colleen Bevacqua, Lakeland.

Pitchers — Kari Prockish, Jr., LL; Leah Dreesman, So., Mos.

Outfielders — Reese Bentley, So., Mos; Emily Vanderhoof, Jr., LL; Darby Litzko, Jr., LL.

Infielders — Shayna Woolley, Sr., LL; Sarah Doty, Jr., Mos; Josie Spain, Sr., Mos; Lily Martin, Sr., Spt; Reilly Williams, Jr., LL.

Catcher — Sam Holland, So., Spt.

DH/Utility — Savannah Pruitt, Jr., LL.