West Valley Trots To Front In Pony League

With a third of its season over, West Valley’s Spokane Valley Baseball Pony League team has an early advantage.

The American Division leaders won their first four games, including twice with lastinning rallies against Carsten’s Marine.

First game was 8-7 with five runs in the bottom of the seventh despite the fact Carsten’s John Blakesley fanned 11 and his team outhit WV 9-6.

In the final inning Mark Crouch hit a two-out bases-loaded double, then stole third and home with the winning run.

In their second meeting, WV broke a 3-3 tie with seven eighth-inning runs on four walks, a hit batter, error and two hits.

Again a Carsten’s pitcher, Cody Owens, fanned a bunch. He struck out 12. But WV’s Matt Hietala had two hits and drove in three runs.

During two other wins, WV scored 46 runs as Tony Wacenske had seven hits, Jerry Jameson had a double, triple and three-run homer. Conor Jordan had four hits, scored three runs and drove in three others during one win and pitcher Derrien Waldron retired all 14 batters he faced, striking out 10.

Carsten’s evened its record with a 5-4 win over Food Rainbow, Owens with eight strikeouts and Josh Nichols driving in three runs.

Other unbeatens are American Division challenger Spokane County Sheriff’s Assoc., National Division leader Mountain View II and Nordec.

The latter scored twice in the eighth inning to edge Valley Electric 8-7 when Brian Flaig got his third hit and Bret French doubled him in. French led a 17-hit attack with three triples and a double against Savage House Pizza.

During a 20-4 win over Greenacres II, Perfection Tire’s Jared Vlahovich tripled and hit a grand slam home run in the same inning.

Midgets continue perfect

Seven Midget League teams have yet to experience defeat, although four earned a rainy-day reprieve.

Last Tuesday’s games, for the most part, were washed out and only the American Division made them up.

Three American teams are 3-0 including Godfather’s Pizza.

Included was a makeup eight-inning 7-6 win over University.

Trailing by two runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Godfather’s benefitted by a pair of errors, an infield hit, a walk and David Courchaine’s hit to win the game.

Earlier in the week, Garrett Trimmer went 4-for-4, scored three times and drove in six runs, including a three-run triple. Teammate Jay Pearson had three hits, four RBIs, including a three-run home run.

Broadway Eye Care’s Michael Koentopp was 4-for-4 with three runs batted in and Ryan Herring went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles.

The team also beat Les Schwab 9-2 as Brett Neste and Ryan Ellersick were both 3-for-3. Neste hit two doubles and a triple.

Medicine Shoppe got a three-hit, 16-strikeout shutout from pitchers John Cox, Greg Durgin and Ryan Harris during one win and 23 hits in another, Cox going 3-for-4 and Harris hitting two doubles.

Northwest Fence’s Ryan Masterson saved two wins.

National Division unbeaten Datacomp of Spokane got a three-run triple from Eric Koepsell and strong defense and relief pitching by Josh Smith to beat Perfection Tire.

Also unbeaten, Valley Firefighters pitchers Chad Mathison and Shae Lanphere combined on a 12 strikeout one-hitter. Lanphere was 3-for-3 with a triple and five RBIs.

Corey Collins and Brandon Pratt homered as Freeman improved to 2-0.

Five Pee Wees at 3-0

A quintet of Pee Wee League teams have gotten off to 3-0 starts in summer play.

Included are Tom’s Barber Shop, Lew Schwab and Dr. DeCounter DDS in the American Division, James Psomas DDS and Valley OB Gyn in the National Division.

James Psomas pitcher Scotty McFarland pitched two innings of no-hit five-strikeout baseball to win one game and fanned six to save another.

Michael Varga hit a two-run homer to tie Valley Instant Printing in the fifth and Ryan Bushnell’s infield hit plated the winner. Varga also had a two-run triple during victory over Pizza Hut. And Willie Horlen tripled and singled scoring twice and driving in another against George Velis DDS.

Among National Division highlights last week, Craig Kent had four hits, two of the doubles for Pizza Hut.

Pitchers Tyler Guarisco and Jordan Trader combined for 17 strikeouts in six innings for victorious White Elephant.

Godfather’s Pizza’s Sean Harrell hit a grand slam home run and Joey Leslie a three-run double.

And Zip’s Nate Skidmore struck out a dozen batters during victory over Homestead Construction.

In the American Division, Jeremy Kline hit two triples and drove in five runs for Omech Construction.

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