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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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CV, Mt. Spokane share baseball title

Central Valley topped Mt. Spokane for a second straight day as the teams finished tied atop the Greater Spokane League baseball standings.

Click the tab below to read my unedited story and roundup, including district/subregional matchups.

By Greg Lee

gregl@spokesman.com; (509) 927-2180

Judging by their reaction, one would have thought the Central Valley Bears had clinched the Greater Spokane League baseball championship outright Thursday.

Preseason favorite Central Valley knocked off Mt. Spokane for a second straight game as the visiting Bears forged a tie for the conference title with the Wildcats with a 6-2 decision.

Both teams had already locked up top seeds to postseason play. But CV made the final game of the regular season meaningful when senior right-handed Scott Simon tossed a one-hitter in a 6-1 victory on Wednesday. Both teams finished league at 17-3.

The 4A District 8 tournament begins with a loser-out game Monday when No. 5 seed University (11-8) faces No. 4 Lewis and Clark (13-7) at Avista Stadium at 4 p.m.

The tourney resumes Wednesday with double-elimination play. No. 2 Mead (15-5) meets No. 3 Ferris (14-6) at 4 followed by CV taking on the University/LC winner at 7, also at Avista Stadium.

The championship game is May 14. The top two teams advance to regionals.

The league title is just the second for CV. The Bears shared the championship with Ferris in 1992. It’s the second shared title for Mt. Spokane, which also won an outright championship in 2007.

The 3A subregional between the GSL and Columbia Basin Big Nine teams begins Tuesday. But Rogers (3-17) and North Central (3-17) finished tied for the fourth and final seed and meet in a loser-out playoff Saturday at Gonzaga Prep, beginning at 3.

In loser-out openers Tuesday, GSL No. 3 East Valley (3-17) visits CBBN No. 2 (to be determined Saturday) and the Rogers/NC winner is at GSL No. 2 Shadle Park (6-13). Double-elimination action begins Friday.

Central Valley 6, Mt. Spokane 2: After suffering back-to-back losses to Ferris, the Bears finished regular-season play strong.

“We had a couple of days off after the Ferris games and we really concentrated on our swings and hitting curveballs off the (pitching) machine,” Bears second baseman David Borgman said. “We focused there and came back to win the championship.”

Borgman had two hits including his league-leading sixth homer, a two-run shot in the sixth that gave the Bears their final two runs.

“We set four goals – winning regionals, winning districts and winning state along with league,” Borgman said.

CV coach Barry Poffenroth is thankful to have the first step in the journey complete.

“In the fifth inning I was getting a little nervous,” said Poffenroth, whose team trailed 1-0 after Evan Renner hit a solo homer in the first. “A couple of guys who were struggling are starting to hit it again. Hopefully this will bode well in districts and beyond.”

After left-handed starter Cory Mack allowed the homer to Renner, he found a grove. He allowed just two more hits while striking out eight.

Borgman, from his spot at second base, had a good view of Mack’s work.

“His curveball was amazing,” Borgman said. “Watching that thing break was, like, Holy Cow. That was nice.”

The Wildcats were noticeably disappointed afterward.

“It’s not how we wanted to be there (league title), backing our way in kind of,” Mt. Spokane coach Alex Schuerman said. “I told them (his players) to let it burn. They’re hooting and hollering on our field. I said that should burn, that should frustrate us. We’ve got to regroup and refocus.”

Mead 13, University 10: The visiting Panthers rallied by scoring six runs in the sixth.

Kyle Courtney led Mead by going 3 for 4 with three runs batted including a two-run homer. Teammate Kramer Kimbell had two doubles and three RBIs.

Thomas Wakem led U-Hi with a homer and two RBIs.

Ferris 4, Gonzaga Prep 3: The visiting Saxons rallied with four runs in the sixth, sparked by Chase Haack’s two-run double, for their eighth straight victory.

David Machtolf’s bases loaded single in the fifth gave the Bullpups (7-13) a short-lived 3-0 lead.

Ryan Krustangel led Ferris with two hits.

Rogers 8, North Central 7: A walk-off, bases-loaded, no-out single by Matt Durant allows the Pirates another chance to earn a berth to the subregional.

The teams turn around and play Saturday in a loser-out game to decide the fourth seed to the 3A subregional.

Durant went 3 for 5 with three RBIs. Teammate Tyler Orlowski had two hits and four RBIs.

Lewis and Clark 12, East Valley 2: Garrick Little led off the game with a homer for the visiting Tigers and it got worse in a hurry for the Knights in the run-rule shortened game.

Three more homers followed in an eight-run third for LC. Josh Martin and Stefan Altberg had three-run homers and Donnie Santos had a two-run homer.

EV earned the No. 3 seed to the subregional based on quality wins. The Knights had a winner earlier over 4A University.



Greg Lee

Longtime high school sports reporter Greg Lee is now a freelance writer covering Gonzaga women's basketball, Whitworth football and high school sports for The Spokesman-Review.

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