Shock, Blaze make several roster moves

Spokane and Utah made several player moves leading up to Saturday’s outdoor game at Albi Stadium.

Spokane signed veteran receiver Randy Hymes and defensive lineman Mike Battisti. Hymes had 43 catches as a Baltimore Raven from 2002-05. He played with Bossier/Shreveport last season. Battisti was an All-Big Sky Conference selection for Northern Arizona.

The Shock released defensive end Eric Hedin, who had a sack and forced a fumble two weeks ago in his Arena Football League debut, and placed defensive lineman Jonathan Williams on injured reserve.

Utah, which lost two quarterbacks to injury last week, placed starter Tommy Grady on IR. The Blaze signed two quarterbacks, AFL veteran Todd Hammel and E.J. Nemeth. Hammel, 44, backed up Aaron Garcia in Jacksonville last season.

The Blaze will be without receiver Ernie Pierce, who signed with UFL Virginia. Pierce was second on the team with 92 receptions.

• The Shock announced that children 14 and younger wearing a youth sports jersey (of any sport) will receive a $10 ticket for free for Saturday’s game. These tickets can be redeemed at the Albi Stadium box office only on Saturday. The Albi box office opens at 10 a.m.

Jim Meehan