Young Lady Hawks play well but fall

It was only a little over two months long, but the Lady Hawks' return to the playing fields of competitive softball is the story of a lifetime.

And although the Thompson Falls girls lost their play-in game to the Western B-C tournament 16-14 to Troy Tuesday (May 15), and their beloved assistant coach Randy Pirker, who was making a heroic last coaching stand, to cancer Friday, the season was a memorable one for all involved, coach Jared Koskela said.

Pirker, who guided the Lady Hawk softball program for many years and led the Hawks to the State B-C title back in 2010, made assistant coaching his girls again his focus these past few months, and made a huge impression on the team and Koskela.

In this season of rebirth for the Lady Hawk softball program, there really were no winners in the game Pirker played so well for his team and himself – only inspiration, tinged with a heavy layer of sadness and loss.

"We got together and made a team poster for Randy and sent a picture of it to him in the hospital (in Kalispell)," Koskela said. "As I understand it, he had been in and out of the emergency room several times last week, and I think the picture cheered him up.

"He texted back thanking us for the picture and what he called 'an awesome season,'" Koskela added, "and I guess one of the last things he saw was that picture of the poster on his phone."

The poster featured heart-felt comments from each girl and coach that had the opportunity to go one final season with Coach Pirk. Those words they wrote will now reverberate with the people he has touched forever.

"You truly are a hero!" one wrote. "You always helped me get better," another said. "You made me a better player and person," and are "one of the strongest people I know," two others offered. And each and every one of the comments expressed gratitude and love to the man who meant so much to Thompson Falls, Thompson Falls sports and to Lady Hawk softball in particular.

"Randy will be missed by everyone," Koskela understated. "It was sure great to have him around this season. I don't know how many people would have put themselves through what he did, just so he could coach this spring, that was an incredible effort on his part."

Pirker was, as stated earlier, unable to attend the game in Troy Tuesday.

Always one to want the games to go on, Pirk would have been proud of how his girls played that day.

After falling behind early, the Lady Hawks battled back to take a 9-8 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Not wanting to give in even in the end (and that sounds familiar, doesn't it?), the Hawks scored four more runs in the top of the seventh inning and had the bases loaded with only one out before finally succumbing.

Belle Cooper drove in four runs to pace the Hawk offense, Haley Morgan added two and Kelsey Frank, Riley Wilson, Jody Detlaff and Sarah Detlaff one apiece. Maya Stiles had a team-high three hits, Morgan two (including a triple), Faith Frields two and Cooper, Frank, Wilson and the Detlaff sisters one each.