Lela Work struck out 14 in the Timberwolves' 3-0 win Tuesday over Coeur d'Alene at Lake City. Photo Courtesy of JEROME A. POLLOS/Press

Work fanned 14 batters, walked one and scattered two hits -- her season-high strikeout total -- on Tuesday afternoon, and the host Timberwolves remained the lone undefeated Inland Empire League softball team (in league play) with a 3-0 victory over the Coeur d'Alene Vikings (8-4, 2-4 IEL).



"I used a lot of rise balls, and everything was just going pretty good," Work said. "Getting ahead on the batter is a really big thing -- you just work off that."



After three innings, Work had already struck out eight batters and thrown out Hailey Petit at first for the ninth out.



"Lela, I think, owned the mound today," LC coach Laura Tolzmann said. "Her head is there -- she wants it."



Coeur d'Alene senior Jessica Kraft was the only player able to hit off Work during the game. She went 2 for 3 with a single in the first and a leadoff single in the top of the seventh.



"She's a good pitcher, but we've seen that kind of pitcher," Coeur d'Alene coach Larry Bieber said. "We just didn't come to play today."



The Timberwolves (11-1, 5-0) were helped offensively by the bats of Jessica Ross and Jamie Hall, who each finished with a single and a double.

"I thought Jessica and Jamie led the team with hitting really well," Tolzmann said. "We're seeing the ball very well right now, and I think we're all stepping in the box wanting to hit and ready to hit every time."



Lake City took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Kallie Neal led off the inning with a single to right field and advanced to second on Jennifer Robertson's sacrifice bunt. Neal scored on the following at-bat on Kory Kritz's RBI single.



The Timberwolves also added single runs in the third and fifth innings.



Hall led off the third with a stand-up double and Ross followed up with an RBI double to left center. LC's fifth-inning run was scored when Work was walked with the bases loaded.



Coeur d'Alene pitcher Amber Coburn, a Delaware State signee, struck out eight batters and walked two.



"We were not aggressive enough," Bieber said. "We were passive. It just wasn't a very good game for us -- they demonstrated today that they are the better team right now."



Coeur d'Alene 000 000 0 -- 0 2 0



Lake City 011 010 x -- 3 8 0



Amber Coburn and Jessica Eppers; Lela Work and Jessica Ross. W -- Work. L -- Coburn.



HITS: Cd'A -- Kraft 2. LC -- Neal, Ross 2, Kritz, Hall 2, Rowe, Fordham. 2B -- Ross, Hall.