GSL baseball: Bullpups rally for regional berth

Gonzaga Prep rebounded from losing the District 8 4A championship with a 15-6 pounding of Ferris on Wednesday to qualify as the second seed in the upcoming regionals.

Fellow Greater Spokane League members also fared well in loser-out games Wednesday. Mt. Spokane beat visiting Kamiakin 7-3 and Shadle Park played 12 innings to finally best Southridge 4-3.

However, Rogers gave up two runs in the seventh inning and fell 3-2 to Kennewick, and University lost 10-0 to Hanford.

Gonzaga Prep coach Brian Munhall said his team seemed to suffer a lack of focus after the 12 inning 3-1 loss to Lewis and Clark on Tuesday night.

“That was humbling,” Munhall said of the loss to LC. “But we are still fighting.”

Against Ferris, the Bullpups’ Justin Blatner smacked a three-run home run and Jordan Rathbone also had an extra-base hit that scored three runners.

The Bullpups came from behind early and then broke the game open with a seven-run third inning. Pitcher Connor Cherry got the complete-game win.

“We were in the game right up until they put up the seven spot,” Ferris coach Jim Sharkey said. “I’m proud of how they battled.”

Up north, Mt. Spokane started pitching phenom Drew Rasmussen, who helped his own cause when he hit an opposite field, two-run home run to give the Wildcats the early lead.

Kamiakin twice tied the score until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Wildcats scored four times to make it 7-3.

Rasmussen finished with 13 strikeouts and he gave up only four hits. All three Kamiakin runs came off errors.

“We gave them a chance to stay in the game,” coach Alex Schuerman said.

Across town, Shadle Park threw three pitchers at Southridge and finally won in the 12th inning when Brett Rypien walked with the bases loaded to end the game at 4-3.

“We made some very good defensive plays in clutch spots,” coach Ron Brooks said.

Shadle Park and Mt. Spokane now travel south to play either Kennewick or Hanford on Saturday.

That same day, Gonzaga Prep will play Richland at 10 a.m. at Hart Field. Also at Hart Field: Walla Walla plays Lewis and Clark at 1 p.m. The loser of that game will play the G-Prep vs. Richland winner at 4 p.m.