Sports notebook: Valley filled with summer high school baseball
Spokane Valley high school players are getting their fill of baseball during a busy summer season.
From AAA through AA American Legion, plus traveling teams, there has been plenty of league, nonleague and tournament playing opportunity so far.
University (12-1), which is the North Division AA leader, won three games in the Anacortes Steamer Invitational, Travis Clark with seven hits. He’s hitting .390 and has eight doubles for the season behind Brandon Shryock‘s .488 average and Sean Severson‘s .419. Jacob Olsufka leads the team in home runs (three) and RBIs (18).
Central Valley AA hosted the Bear Bash tournament beginning last Thursday which included CV, East Valley, Freeman and West Valley among the 14 teams participating.
None of the local teams fared particularly well at the Bear Bash, although Central Valley (14-8 overall) entered this week in first place in the South Division of the AA Legion league ahead of Freeman.
In AAA ball there’s been a tournament every week. The Bandits, also with U-Hi players, are 6-1 in league and 11-8 overall. The Cannons, with players from the rest of the Valley teams, are 2-4, 7-12.
Teams stay perfect
Jim Frazier Pro and Trophy Shop continued atop the Midget Division as teams from Spokane Valley Baseball League approached the midpoint of their seasons.
The Pasadena Park-based team defeated Inland Cardiology and Autocraft in recent games to improve to 5-0. In the first win Hunter Wells struck out 10 and in the second Tyler Stavnes fanned 12 in four innings of work each during the 13-5 and 32-4 wins.
Offensively, Carson Driskill was 3-for-3 with a home run and triple in the first win. He scored four runs and drove in four. Stavnes was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Austin Luhn went 4-for-5 with two doubles and scored six runs in the second game. Riley House drove in three.
Jim Frazier has a game lead over Conley’s Place and Sunrise. Conley’s Miceal Taylor struck out a dozen during two wins and Mitch Burcham drove in three runs as the South Pines team kept pace.
In the Pee Wee leagues Spokane County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. (Summit) in the American Division and two teams, Spokane Athletic Supply (Otis Orchards 2) and Mark Spear Homeselling (Chester 1) in the National remained unbeaten.
The Summit Sheriffs moved to 4-0, Daryous Bonner stealing six bases in an 11-2 win. Three Mark Spear pitchers – Gunnar Arlt, Nate Tesdahl and Cole Luedkte – combined on a 16 strikeout no-hitter in one of its wins. Colin Sheffels tripled and homered and Conor Linehan was 3-for-4.
Other individual highlights during the week: Brandon Millikan and Josh Quartararo combined for 17 strikeouts for Pizza Hut and Quartararo was one of three players with two hits in a 20-5 win. Jordan Crouch was 3-for-3 with a double and home run.
Blasingame Insurance’s Ross Vermillion hit two doubles and a single during a 21-6 victory and pitcher Gunnar Cebriak pitched no-hit shutout ball, striking out eight in a 10-1 win. He was also 2-for-3 and tripled.
Madisen Schau and Matthew Hughes were each 3-for-4 for Spokane Indians, Schau with three RBIs. Ben Sullenger of Grocery Outlet went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs. Wells Fargo Bank’s Travis Hoctar was also 3-for 4, hitting two doubles and driving in three runs. McDonald’s Jared Dittmer went 3-for-3, scored five runs and drove in three. Queong Rahman went 3-for-4 and homered while scoring three times and driving in three.
Leaders take shape
Spokane Valley Girls Softball front runners are beginning to assert themselves, but just barely, two weeks into the summer season.
BNSF and Home Run Construction remain atop the 16U League. Four teams are 3-0 in 14U. A pair of 12U teams, both 4-0, have opened two-game leads and there are still a couple of unbeaten 10U League squads.
While BNSF, which won 27-3 in its most recent game, and Home Run Construction are both 2-0 in 16U play, Einsteins Car Wash moved to within a half game with a 14-8 win over Tri Diamond.
14U League remained wide open after Old Country Buffet, BNSF, Spokane Transfer and Dairy Queen all won for the third time.
Dairy Queen’s Sarah Bowden hit two triples in one win and she struck out six batters pitching in the second victory over Artistic Landscape. Dominique Ali drove in seven runs.
Spokane Transfer came from behind for a 10-9 win over Greenacres Gypsum, Jordyn Anderson with a last-inning two-out single to drive in a pair of runs for the win. Hannah Harder hit a bases loaded triple and Christie Tombari added a two-run homer. Shelby Harbison and Hailey Wesselman homered in the team’s other victory.
BNSF overcame a five-run deficit for its 11-10 victory over Jewell Excavating.
Other highlights included a couple and triple by Cheyenne Abele during Evergreen Heating’s win over Farmer’s Market. Ali Cargill of Kim Hotstart drove in five runs, including with a bases loaded triple to beat Greenacres Gypsum.
During 12U games, Towey Ecological improved to 4-0 as pitchers Bailey Towey and Jessica Mitchell each struck out four during a 12-4 win over Commercial Battery.
The team shares the lead with McCoy’s Pitching Staff, as Kiara McCoy hit a double and triple during 16-1 victory over Marz Mountain.
Kenzie Buechler hit a home run for BNSF which won its first game this year.
Old Country Buffet is 3-0 in the 10U League and got an unassisted double play by Chloe Sholtz during victory over Farrell’s Spray.
Elsewhere, Hannah Hendrickson pitched two innings of no-hit ball during an F&F Foundations win. BNSF’s Mackenzie Matteson hit a bases-loaded double, driving in all three in one win and Kristen Birdsill hit a homer in the other as the team evened its record at 2-2.