Badgers aim for repeat state title
Courtesy photos The Badgers softball team brought its A-game throughout the season, finishing off a 14-1 regular season with a 3A district tournament title. Bonners Ferry will seek to defend its 2017 state title when this year’s state tournament begins on Friday in Idaho Falls.
Jadyn Bennett, Kassy Skeen, Kadi Bateman and Jorryn Bennett made the all-Intermountain League team this year, with Kadi Bateman named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
BONNERS FERRY — Teams can’t win a championship if they don’t qualify for the state tournament.
Looking to defend their 2017 state softball title, the Bonners Ferry Badgers took care of business in last week’s 3A District 1 tournament, winning their opener against Kellogg 10-0, then rolling past Timberlake 15-1 to punch their ticket to state.
The Badgers (14-1) open state tournament play at 8 a.m. PDT Friday vs. Fruitland (11-9-1) at Bonneville High School in Idaho Falls. For a complete schedule, see the state bracket running with this story.
Timberlake (14-4) and Bonners Ferry (15-1) could be on a collision course to meet in the championship game for the second straight year.
Bonners beat Timberlake last year for the Badgers’ first state title in softball.
Timberlake’s runner-up finish tied for its second-best ever. The Tigers also were second in 2007.
“Bonners didn’t lose anybody,” said third-year Timberlake coach Casi Reisenauer, who played on the Tigers’ first state-qualifying team in 2000. “We lost a few seniors, but what we lost, we gained in freshmen.”
Bonners Ferry’s leaders include four girls who made this year’s all-Intermountain League team: Jadyn Bennett, Kassy Skeen, Kadi Bateman and Jorryn Bennett, with Bateman also named MVP for the league.
District final: Bonners Ferry 15, Timberlake 1
BONNERS FERRY — Kassy Skeen had three hits and six RBIs for the Badgers in a win over the Tigers in the 3A District 1 championship game. Kadi Bateman also had three hits and earned the win on the mound, allowing one run and four hits over five innings.
Bonners Ferry blew open a 1-1 game with a five-run third inning, then scored nine more in the fourth to close out the victory.
Timberlake 100 00 — 1 4 3
Bonners Ferry 105 9x — 15 14 0
Becca Malloy, Bernie Carhart (4) and Maddy Salois; Kadi Bateman and Jorryn Bennett. W — Bateman. L — Malloy.
HITS: TL — Starr 2, Malloy, Jessen. BF — Bateman 3, Bennett 2, Bennett, Skeen 3, Watt, Liermann, English 2, Villelli. 2B — Bateman, Bennett. 3B — Starr.
3A softball bracket
At Bonneville High, Idaho Falls
Friday (all times PDT)
Game 1 — Bonners Ferry (14-1) vs. Fruitland (11-9-1), 8 a.m.
Game 2 — South Fremont (15-4-1) vs. Filer (19-7), 10
Game 3 — Marsh Valley (14-3) vs. Timberlake (14-4), 8
Game 4 — Homedale (22-2) vs. Snake River (11-6), 10
Game 5 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, noon (loser out)
Game 6 — Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, noon (loser out)
Game 7 — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.
Game 8 — Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 2
Game 9 — Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 4
Game 10 — Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 4
Saturday
Game 11 — Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 9 a.m.
Game 12 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 9
Game 13 — Winner Game 11 vs. Loser Game 12, 11
Game 14 — Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13, 1 p.m.
Game 15 — Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14, 3 (if necessary)