SP, CV, NC snare bids
The heat was on and results often harrowing, but three Greater Spokane League softball teams survived Saturday at Franklin Park to play another week.
Shadle Park defended its 4A regional title with a 1-0 squeaker over Richland. Both Central Valley and 3A North Central survived loser-out situations to join Shadle in Tacoma over the Memorial Day weekend.
Both Shadle’s Highlanders (25-0) and NC’s Indians (18-5) are making fourth successive state trips.
After losing to Richland in the 10 a.m. semifinals, CV’s Bears (20-7) rode Alyssa Erickson’s pitching to win twice, 1-0 over Walla Walla in eight innings and 4-2 in a comeback over Pasco for the second state berth in school history. The other was in 1996.
4A regional
For the second time in two days, Shadle scored a first-inning run and made it stand up in defeating the Bombers for the second straight year in the finals.
China Frost, who had three hits in the Highlanders’ semifinal win, reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored when Danielle Lynn smacked an opposite-field double over the left fielder’s head.
“It was outside – my pitch,” Shadle’s junior shortstop said. “I was late on the last two, strided early and anything close I was taking a swing.”
That score came after Richland had threatened with a runner at third in the top of the inning.
Pitcher Sam Skillingstad held them at bay thereafter. Skillingstad allowed seven hits and struck out 26 in two games Saturday.
“That’s a great team,” coach George Lynn said. “I didn’t think one run was enough to beat them.”
Greater Spokane League teams had won three of four opening-round games Friday, but the tables turned Saturday morning. The Highlanders reached the final with a 6-1 win over University. Besides the efforts of Frost, they got home runs by Jen Schwartz and Megan Skillingstad, a two-run blow in the second inning, and a two-run single by Sam Skillingstad, breaking up a close game in the seventh.
“We did a great job getting ready,” Lynn said. “I felt they were the most dangerous team.”
CV lost 7-0 to Richland. Both U-Hi and Mead were later eliminated, leaving it to Erickson and the Bears to battle back.
The junior pitcher allowed two hits and faced only two batters over the minimum through eight innings. With two out in the top of the eighth, Alexa Morales blooped a double between second base and right field and Erickson drove her in for the game’s only run.
“That was pretty awesome,” Erickson said.
Then she came right back against Pasco, playing the Bulldogs for the second time in two days. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, she shut them out the rest of the way. Morales’ two-run single and outfield error cleared the bases in the third and CV manufactured a run in the fourth. It was enough for Erickson.
“I just focused on my spots and threw like I knew how,” she said. “No one thought we could make it this far, but we’re going to state. This is the best thing that ever happened.”
3A regional
NC was three outs away from its season ending and pitcher Kelsie Vallies was imagining her career ending before she could make her fourth state appearance.
But a seventh-inning walk to Lenae Brown, a game-tying single by Kasara Wise and Vallies’ grounder that scored Wise gave Vallies another trip to state.
“It would have been a little depressing,” the Arkansas-bound hurler said. “But as soon as (Wise) got that hit, I knew we had it.”
Columbia Basin League pitchers had been practically perfect in their first two games against GSL foes, retiring 43 straight batters in 14 innings.
Following a leadoff walk to Mt. Spokane’s Melissa Natwick, Kamiakin pitcher Deni Teel retired 21 straight batters in a 3-0 victory.
Southridge freshman Caitlin Klepper was perfect into the eighth inning of NC’s 2-0 nine-inning international tiebreaker loss. Vallies allowed just three hits and struck out 21, giving her 35 for the day.
The Indians ran their scoreless inning string to 15 before saving the day at do-or-die time in its final at-bat.
District 7 2A
Colville (22-1) defeated Pullman (15-6) 6-0 in a state seeding game and West Valley (13-9) beat Clarkston 10-1 for the district’s third state berth. Alison Holst and Mikayla Carr threw a two-hit shutout and Emilee Lepp hit her 12th home run of the year for Colville. Rachel Meagley fanned 10 for WV and Stephanie Hjortedal went 2 for 4 with four RBIs.
1A regional
Freeman (16-8) finished second in the tournament in Wenatchee after its 5-3 win over Cascade (Leavenworth) earned a state trip. Kelsey Raines was 4 for 4. The Scotties lost 2-0 to Chelan in the championship. Lakeside-Nine Mile Falls (21-4) lost 12-2 in its semifinal but came back to eliminate Chewelah (11-3) 11-1 and also qualified for state. Moriah Beeler had three hits and Heather Hesselgesser two. Colfax (11-10) lost 4-3 to Cascade and was eliminated.
District 7 2B
Liberty (14-9) won twice in the tournament at Kettle Falls to earn the third seed to state. The Lancers beat Reardan (13-8) 2-0 and Springdale (17-7) 7-4 in the loser-out games behind pitcher Angela Bethel, who also had two hits in the second game. Springdale ousted Davenport (10-7) 4-0. Selkirk defeated Lind-Ritzville 5-3 in the championship game to decide the top two seeds to the state tourney.
B districts
Columbia (14-7) scored eight runs over the final two innings to defeat Inchelium (8-11) for the District 7 championship at Kettle Falls. Michelle Lojas want 4 for 4 and scored three runs. Heather Harbin was 3 for 4, scored twice and drove in a pair. Odessa (8-10) defeated St. Michael’s (15-4) 8-7 to earn the third seed to state. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Caitlyn Johnson singled in Jordan Frederick to win the game. St. Michael’s had scored four in the sixth for the tie. … Thea Sanson pitched a two-hitter, striking out eight, as Touchet defeated Garfield-Palouse 8-0 in the District 9 title game at Richland. Gar-Pal bounced back to defeat LaCrosse-Washtucna 9-5 in a state-qualifying game. Alisa Jones doubled and had two RBIs for Gar-Pal.