First-place Mead edges CV

Scoring opportunities proved difficult to come by Wednesday when Greater Spokane League soccer title contenders Mead and Central Valley squared off.

Mead’s Panthers (10-1, 7-1) made good on a point-blank indirect free kick for their 1-0 victory at home, keeping them in first place, three points ahead of Ferris with two matches remaining.

Among them is the GSL season ender April 25 against Ferris.

Cameron Bushey drilled the winning shot past CV’s wall into the upper-middle back of the net off a quick touch from Adrian Tarkington. The score came at the 29-minute mark following an obstruction call just inside the 18-yard box.

“I think it was a little bit of a disadvantage for CV and the keeper,” said Mead coach Matt Stueckle. “When Cameron played Adrian’s ball, he was still kind of shielded by their wall and he didn’t see it until it was in the net.”

A crosswind out of the west played havoc with the ball as shots from that side of the Mead field were blown well past the net and those hit from the other side tended to hang up in the air.

“The wind kind of killed the game a little bit and it really was a chess match early,” said Stueckle. “Then CV got a little more direct, playing the long ball forward. But our backs handled the pressure.”

Mead didn’t get its first shot of the match until the 15-minute mark. But it made its breakthrough and over the final 40 minutes played back on defense to keep the Bears at bay. Mead keeper Zach Knetchges made a big save 10 minutes into the second half to punch what appeared to be the match evener over the goal top.

Mead has 22 points to 19 for the Saxons (9-0-1, 7-0). The Bears (7-4, 5-2, 16) could have created a three-way tie with a win, but fell to fifth with the loss.

Elsewhere, Ferris defeated Shadle Park 3-1 at Joe Albi Stadium.

Jesse Taff

connected right after intermission and the Saxons added two goals in approximately 10-minute intervals. Taff and Taylor Proctor each had a goal and an assist. … Andrew Mastronardi scored his second goal with 3 minutes remaining as East Valley (3-7, 3-4, 9) won 3-2 at Gonzaga Prep (5-6, 3-5, 8) for its third straight win. … Third-place Lewis and Clark (8-3, 6-2, 18) scored four goals in the first 11 minutes of a 7-0 shutout over visiting North Central (2-9, 0-8) at Hart Field. Jack Gilles and Mackenzie Olivares had two goals each. … Fourth-place University (8-4, 6-1, 18) blanked visiting Mt. Spokane (2-5, 2-5, 7) as Evan Frobe tallied twice.

Softball

University (8-3) scored five times in the fourth inning for an 8-3 win in the first of back-to-back games against visiting Central Valley (7-4). Riki Schiermeister (four hits) and Alyssa Hawley were a combined 7 for 8, stole five bases and scored five runs. … Second-place North Central (10-2) pounded out 16 hits in a 15-5 five-inning win over visiting Gonzaga Prep (4-7). Kelsie Vallies and Lenae Brown were each 3 for 3 with four runs batted in. Vallies doubled and homered, Brown doubled and tripled.

•Amanda Edwards threw a no-hitter for Coeur d’Alene (9-5, 5-3) as it swept an Inland Empire League doubleheader 21-0 and 15-0 over Sandpoint (0-14, 0-8). Edwards struck out five and also had three hits and three RBIs in the second game for Vikings. … Lela Work struck out 13 and had the game-winning RBI single in the seventh to lead Lake City (9-3, 5-1) past visiting Lakeland (6-6, 2-4) 3-2.

Baseball

Ferris (9-3) scored five runs each in the final two innings for a 14-3 victory at East Valley. A dozen Saxons hit safely and five had two hits each. Andrew Kittredge hit a three-run homer, McKenzie Murphy tripled and winning pitcher Beau Brett doubled, keeping Ferris third behind Mead and University.

•Ben Dunlow threw a complete-game shutout, striking out six, to lead Post Falls (3-6, 2-2) over host Lakeland (5-4, 4-3) 3-0 in an Inland Empire League game.

•Marc Grubham and Mykel Guidry each had five hits for St. Maries (5-2, 1-1) in a 9-7, 15-6 Intermountain League doubleheader sweep at Kellogg (7-1, 5-1).

•Pullman and Cheney split a Great Northern League doubleheader, with Pullman (5-1, 3-1) winning the first game 11-4 and the Blackhawks (8-2, 5-2) taking the second 5-2. The Greyhounds’ Brandon Lincoln had three hits and three RBIs in the first game. The Blackhawks’ Justin Webber had two home runs and four RBIs in the second game.