Idaho state softball: Capital upsets Timberline, Eagle rallies, Owyhee rolls
Thursday marked the start of the 2025 Idaho high school softball state tournaments. Numerous Treasure Valley schools are in the running for state championships, and several of them won Thursday to advance into the winners’ bracket in the double-elimination events.
Eagle and Owyhee recorded big first-round wins in the 6A bracket, while Skyview (5A), Cole Valley Christian (4A), Weiser (4A), Nampa Christian (3A) and Parma (3A) also got victories. But the day’s big surprise came in the 6A bracket, where No. 7 Capital beat No. 2 Timberline 4-1.
Here’s a recap of all of Thursday’s highlights.
IDAHO 6A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
[Related: 6A softball state playoff scores, brackets]
EAGLE 4, COEUR D’ALENE 2: Eagle right fielder Alyssa Orchard hadn’t hit a home run all year. That meant her first of 2025, a two-run shot over the right-field wall on Friday afternoon, might be the most valuable home run the team had this season.
Orchard’s two-run blast gave No. 3-seeded Eagle (18-5) a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning after the Mustangs had been shut out for five innings against No. 6 Coeur d’Alene (18-3). The Mustangs scored once more, part of a four-run sixth that gave them the win over the Vikings.
Eagle coach Nicole Rollins said Orchard consistently asked what she was doing wrong through the season.
“I’m like, (Alyssa), you’re not doing anything wrong,” Rollins said. “She places the ball well in the outfield. She’s consistent for us; she’s been having a high batting average all season long. To go deep in an inning like that, that’s what we love about the state tournament.”
For much of the game, it looked as if Coeur d’Alene would be dropping Eagle to the losers’ bracket. Pitcher Leah Nordman hit a two-run homer in the second inning, and pitching from her and lefty Jenna Davenport limited the Mustangs to one hit through five innings.
Then came the sixth. Pitcher Peyton Bargen hit a solo home run to open the inning, and two more hits — Orchard’s homer included — and two Coeur d’Alene errors made the difference.
“We just kept adjusting our plate approaches,” Rollins said. “They’re hungry at the plate, and so making sure that they’re swinging at their pitches, not adjusting to the umpire, staying patient, and then just unloading when we get the pitch that we want.”
Eagle will face Capital on Friday at 11:15 a.m. at Owyhee High School. Coeur d’Alene and Timberline will play a loser-out game on the other side of the bracket at 9 a.m.
CAPITAL 4, TIMBERLINE 1: The Eagles (17-12) scratched out three runs in the top of the seventh to secure the upset of Timberline, which got its only run in the bottom of the final inning on a home run from shortstop Ashlyn Graklanoff.
Capital pitcher Juel Cavesuela, in fact, did not even allow a hit until Graklanoff connected.
“We kind of battled every team like that in districts. It was a tight game, and I think we’re just used to it,” Capital coach Shane Alder said. “We’re used to that battle and the grit of the team. They kind of have that inner grit, just not to quit.”
The Eagles scored a run in the top of the first on a passed ball, with Lizzy Turpen dashing home from third base, and Cavesuela nearly made that hold up. But after the three runs in the top of the seventh, it didn’t matter.
Timberline lefty Delaney Wright nearly matched her, allowing just one hit through six innings. Then Capital put together the decisive rally, using three singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly to build a 4-0 lead.
“It’s just a team effort, and that’s what they do,” Alder said. “They’re successful.”
OWYHEE 7, ROCKY MOUNTAIN 0: The state’s No. 1 team had no trouble moving to the winners’ bracket.
Owyhee (25-1) pitcher Hailey Bock threw a complete game, allowing just three hits while striking out 12.
It didn’t take long for the Storm to assert dominance over Rocky Mountain (16-15), taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI single from Sobella Malliarodakis. Owyhee continued to pile on the pressure, scoring a three runs apiece in the second and fourth innings.
Owyhee’s Kenadi Garrett and Saylor Shoemaker both enjoyed two-hit games to lead the Storm. Three different batters had a hit for Rocky Mountain.
On Friday, Owyhee will face Highland at 11:15 a.m. and Rocky Mountain will go against Mountain View at 9 a.m.
HIGHLAND 5, MOUNTAIN VIEW 2: No. 4 Mountain View stayed close but never led as it fell to No. 5 Highland.
Highland took a 2-0 lead on a two-run line drive in the second inning, but Mountain View struck back after left fielder Emily Castiglione drove in second baseman Aleynah Vega.
Highland renewed its two-run lead in the next inning, but Mountain View again closed the gap when right fielder Neveah McClaren batted in Vega on a hard ground ball. But a two-run homer from Highland’s McKenna Sutton set the final score.
IDAHO 5A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
[Related: 5A softball state playoff scores, brackets]
LEWISTON 5, MIDDLETON 1: The No. 3-seed Vikings were limited to three hits in an opening-round loss to the sixth-seeded Bengals.
Addie McPherson finished 2-for-3 at the plate with Middleton’s lone RBI on a line drive to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning. Shortstop Sadie Stafford had the only other hit for the Vikings (23-5).
Middleton will try to extend its season in a loser-out game against Blackfoot at 9 a.m. Friday at Skyview High in Nampa.
SKYVIEW 8, BISHOP KELLY 3: The No. 5 Hawks handed last year’s state runner-up an opening-round loss.
Makenna Shamy earned the complete-game win, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out two and walking three over seven innings for the Hawks.
Lily Bittinger finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs and a pair of doubles, and Grace Chambers was 3-for-3 with an RBI for Skyview, which faces top-seeded Pocatello at 11:15 a.m. Friday at Skyview High in the second round.
BK managed four hits in the loss and takes on No. 8 Jerome in a loser-out contest at 9 a.m. Friday at Skyview.
IDAHO 4A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
[Related: 4A softball state playoff scores, brackets]
WEISER 7, TIMBERLAKE 2: The Wolverines plated six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally for a first-round win over the White Tigers.
First baseman Ellie Shirts hit a two-run triple in the inning, and catcher Bennett Torres followed with a three-run home run to center field to get the scoring going.
Right fielder Natalya Hoobery led the Wolverines at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance, including a triple. Madi Janicek earned the win, allowing three hits and two earned runs over seven innings while striking out 11.
Weiser (16-6) will play Cole Valley Christian in the winners’ bracket at 11:15 a.m. Friday at Skyview High in Nampa.
COLE VALLEY CHRISTIAN 23, PRESTON 1 (5 innings): The Chargers collected 23 runs on 12 hits in a rout of the Indians in the first round.
Karlie Barnum earned the win, allowing one earned run and no hits over three innings. Addy Herrera and Lauren Colson finished out the game, each pitching an inning without giving up a run.
Second baseman Abbie English helped lead the charge at the plate, going 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Lola Crosby mashed two home runs with seven RBIs, and Herrera also hit a home run.
Cole Valley (23-4) takes on Weiser in Friday’s second round.
IDAHO 3A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
[Related: 3A softball state playoff scores, brackets]
NAMPA CHRISTIAN 13, DECLO 8: The Trojans racked up 16 hits and benefited from an eight-run second inning to defeat the Hornets.
Addison Gray, Sydney Kinzler and Chloe Shook each had three hits for Nampa Christian (17-4), which will face 3A WIC rival Parma in the winners’ bracket at 11:15 a.m. Friday at Quad Park in Caldwell.
Shook had a team-leading four RBIs and Kinzler chipped in three RBIs. Shook also picked up the win, striking out nine.
PARMA 23, MELBA 0 (5 innings): Wesli Crockett and Maya Jensen combined on a two-hit shutout to lead the Panthers over the Mustangs.
Crockett earned the win, allowing one hit with three strikeouts, and Jensen polished off the shutout with one hit and seven strikeouts.
Poppy Nichols belted a home run and finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Jensen went 4-for-5 with four RBIs. Riley Calkins and Zoey Heffelfinger added two hits apiece for the Panthers (23-3).
Olivia Atack had both hits for Melba, which plays a loser-out contest against Declo at 9 a.m. Friday at Quad Park in Caldwell.
IDAHO 2A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
[Related: 2A softball state playoff scores, brackets]
GARDEN VALLEY, NOTUS ELIMINATED: The District Three qualifiers are headed home after each lost a pair of games Thursday at Quad Park in Caldwell.
Garden Valley opened with a 24-5, five-inning loss to Clearwater Valley and then fell 8-7 to Genesee. The Wolverines finished the season 11-7.
Notus started the day with a 14-0, five-inning setback against Glenns Ferry before losing 11-8 to Clearwater Valley. The Pirates wrapped up the year 12-11.
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 9:12 PM.
