Coeur d'Alene is a perfect 9-0 against Lakeland since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Vikings will challenge the Hawks at 2:00 p.m. Coeur d'Alene's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Lakeland's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Coeur d'Alene will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Post Falls on Thursday. The Vikings put the hurt on the Trojans with a sharp 10-0 victory. Considering the Vikings have won seven contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Leah Nordman
| 04/24/25 @ Post Falls | 8 |
| 04/22/25 vs Lake City | 6 |
| 04/15/25 @ Lewiston | 7 |
The result came thanks to Leah Nordman's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Abbey Linder was incredible, going 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in May of 2024. Adi Wenglikowski also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Coeur d'Alene kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Post Falls only managed two hits.
Meanwhile, Lakeland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 9-7 heartbreaker at the hands of Post Falls. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Hawks have suffered since March 22nd.
Kiersten Drake was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Raygen Dutton was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Coeur d'Alene's win bumped their record up to 14-2. As for Lakeland, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-12.
Lakeland's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Coeur d'Alene has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11 hits per game. It's a different story for Lakeland, though, as they've been averaging 9.8 hits. Given Coeur d'Alene's sizable advantage in that area, the Hawks will need to find a way to close that gap.
Coeur d'Alene beat Lakeland 7-3 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
