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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Softball notes: LC’s Sage Scheiwiller always weighs her options

Sage Scheiwiller’s choices are as plentiful as her talents.

Scheiwiller is having a successful season as Lewis and Clark’s pitcher, but she began her high school career at second base, her favorite position.

“It’s where I feel most comfortable,” Scheiwiller said. “I don’t really know why, but I feel at home there.”

Scheiwiller’s future plans also could have gone in different directions.

She wanted to play at Harvard or MIT, but New York University won her over after she and coach James Barrett chatted during a club tournament in Las Vegas.

The 2015 season will be the first for NYU’s softball program and a possible first for Scheiwiller in the field.

“(Barrett) has talked to me a little bit about playing shortstop,” Scheiwiller said. “That will be interesting, but that will be fun.”

NYU awarded Scheiwiller an annual engineering scholarship of $21,500. Even in that field, Scheiwiller has made a switch, selecting chemical engineering after once considering bioengineering.

Scheiwiller, a fourth-year varsity player, carries a 3.92 grade-point average. She’s backed up in the infield by fellow seniors Bri Smith at third base and Jess Albinson at shortstop.

Scheiwiller entered Tuesday’s game against Mead with a 5-1 record in league.

Perfectly content

Colville (10-0, 9-0 Great Northern League) has scored 110 runs through 10 games, but coach Jim Ebel won’t dwell on numbers.

“I told (the players) at the beginning of the year that I’m not much on stats,” Ebel said.

Returning GNL Most Valuable Player McKenna Cabbage and fellow senior Jessi Wittmeyer are, in general, Colville’s offensive leaders. Cabbage is also 10-0 on the mound.

“We couldn’t do it without her,” Ebel said of Cabbage, who has an offer to play at Spokane Falls Community College but is likely to take her 4.0 grade- point average and pursue academics at Washington State.

Colville hosts defending Idaho State 5A champion Lake City (9-2) on Thursday, but Ebel said he won’t emphasize preserving a perfect record.

“I might put the reserves in, especially with the pitching, because the very next day we have (a league) doubleheader with East Valley. … I’m not worried about (being undefeated). It’s nonleague and if we lose, we lose.”

Dramatic debut

Priest River’s Morgan Dement, one of three freshmen starting for coach Ron Kruse, hit three homers in her first two games. Dement and senior Brittany Krampert hit back- to-back homers in both games.

Through seven games, Dement is hitting .571 with six doubles, four triples, four homers, 14 runs and 15 RBIs.

Other top averages for the Spartans (5-2): junior Destiny Day, .467; senior Sabrina Brandt, .467; Brittany Krampert, .423; and freshman Melissa Krampert, .406. The team is hitting .408.

“We’ve only been out on the dirt for about a week,” Kruse said after Thursday’s 10-6 nonleague loss to Lakeland. “Our field was all ‘mudded’ out and then we had Spring Break last week.”