Spartans fall to Tigers in district softball opener
—Photo by JIM MCKIERNAN Priest River junior Melissa Krampert comes up throwing in recent Spartan action.
BONNERS FERRY — Matraca Rocheleau went 4 for 4 with five RBIs, including a two-run double in the fourth inning, as No. 2 seed Timberlake defeated No. 3 Priest River 12-3 in the first round of the 3A District 1 softball tournament Monday at Bonners Ferry High.
Glori Cheevers went 3 for 4, and Brittany Hibdon struck out nine for Timberlake (11-6), which advanced to play defending district champ and top seed Bonners Ferry in the championship game. Bonners Ferry defeated No. 4 seed Kellogg on Monday.
Freshman Jasmine Martin took the hill for the Spartans, before Rachel Akre relieved her in the fifth inning against a strong-hitting Tigers’ lineup. Akre, Melissa Krampert, Morgan DeMent, Jesi Huntley and Heidi Janhsen had hits in the loss.
The Spartans faced the Wildcats in a loser-out game on Tuesday, but the game hadn’t started at press time.
Priest River 003 000 0 — 3 5 1
Timberlake 403 401 x — 12 15 5
Jasmine Martin, Rachel Akre (5) and Jesi Huntley; Brittany Hibdon and Matraca Rocheleau. W — Hibdon. L — Martin.
HITS: PR — Krampert, DeMent, Huntley, Janhsen, Akre. TL — Vanderhoof 2, Starr 2, Cheevers 3, McGrath, Rocheleau 4, S. Salois 2, Kelley. 2B — Starr, Cheevers 2, Rocheleau, Salois.
n DeMent homer, Nichols no-hitter lead Spartans in sweep
In the final tuneup before districts, the Spartans got the bats going in a 13-12, 21-1 sweep of Kellogg in Intermountain League softball, led by another huge offensive day from the dangerous bat of junior Morgan DeMent.
Kellogg jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first inning, before the Spartans rallied to tie the game, but Kellogg re-built a four run lead heading into the seventh inning. DeMent, who went 4 for 4 with a homer, two doubles and 3 RBIs, put her team ahead for good with her 14th home run of the season. Melissa Krampert added a triple and 3 RBIs in the back and forth affair.
“We came out in the same funk that has plagued us a lot this year, but I’m very proud of the girls for buckling down and battling to the end,” said head coach Rob DeMent. “It was a huge comeback win for us.”
In the second game, the Spartans kept the momentum going by plating eight runs in the first inning, more than enough for Tawny Nichols, who spun a five-inning no-hitter.
“Tawny was able to relax with a big lead and ultimately threw a no hitter,” described DeMent. “She had command of her pitches, and shut them down.”
Rachel Akre went 3 for 3 with four RBIs, Krampert added a triple and four RBIs, and DeMent continued to scald the softball with four more hits and three more RBIs.
“Our bats were red hot the entire game. It was nice to see us finally play a complete game,” said DeMent. “We pitched well, we fielded well, and we hit well.”