The Lakeland Hawks (7-12,3-3) traveled to play the Moscow Bears (14-10,7-1) on May 2.
The Bears won the first game 12-4 and took the series from the Hawks. For the second game, the Bears won 15-14.
Abby Helmholz went 3 for 3 at the dish with three singles and one RBI, Alexis Hanna went 2 for 4 with two singles and an RBI and Baylee Frank went 2 for 4 with a double and a single.
Sammy Pfiffner went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs for the Bears, Kaci Kiblen went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs and Ella McCallie went 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
In the field, it was rough for both teams. They had eight errors combined, five coming from the Hawks and three coming from the Bears.
“We were in the game the entire time, but once that sixth inning came, things kind of started to fall apart,” Delilah Zimmerman said.
The Bears have clinched the league with this impressive win, securing the opportunity to host districts at home this year, a significant achievement for the team.
It was a tense game, with both teams scoreless after the first inning. The Hawks managed to get two runs across the board in the top of the second, but the Bears quickly responded with four runs in the bottom of the second.
The game remained tight, with the Hawks scoring one in the fourth inning, only for the Bears to match it. However, it was the bottom of the sixth that proved to be the turning point, as the Bears tore open the game, putting six runs across the plate.
Helmholz got the start for the Hawks, going the entire game, giving up 12 hits, five earned runs, one walk, three strikeouts and one home run.
Kelly Stodick went the whole game for the Bears, giving up nine hits, zero earned runs, two walks and three strikeouts.
The Hawks play next on May 4 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. against the Sandpoint Bulldogs in a doubleheader at home.
