It isn’t exactly the Field of Dreams – that story of a baseball field created in a cornfield – but it is one man’s dream to install an artificial turf infield at Shadle Park’s Al K. Jackson Field.
All but four of the 14 teams have at least two wins through two weeks of play in Spokane Valley Baseball’s Midget League. In an early showdown, Blasingame Insurance beat Spoco 1858 15-7 in a battle of unbeatens and moved to 5-0.
Four teams completed the first week of Spokane Valley Baseball play with 2-0 records. Spoko 1858 in the Midget League allowed but a single run in its victories, 5-1 and 4-0. Hayden Darby had two hits in the latter game and fanned eight while pitching three innings of the opener. He was part of a centerfield-to-pitcher-to home plate double play. Tyler Campbell, who made the catch in center field, was two-for-two and drove in two runs. Darby drove in half the runs during the shutout victory.
Consider Juanita golfer Frank Garber’s State 3A championship an act of one-upmanship. The precocious sophomore shot a 6-under-par 65 Wednesday afternoon at Indian Canyon to distance himself from the field – and outdo his dad.
There’s a reason why the Richland Bombers are a perennial state baseball title contender. Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Gonzaga Prep paid for two second-inning errors that resulted in all of Richland’s runs and a 6-5 victory in a State 4A quarterfinal Saturday afternoon at Avista Field.
It’s been a long time coming for Mead and Gonzaga Prep baseball teams. The Mead Panthers’ last state appearance was 15 years ago and the G-Prep Bullpups go back 25 years – to 1987 – when last these schools played this far into the season.
The loss wasn’t the magnitude of the Titanic disaster, but the Mt. Spokane Wildcats baseball team did a good imitation, springing leaks early and ultimately going down with the ship. Errors both physical and mental, walks, hit batsmen – you name it, everything went wrong in the 17-4 3A subregional spanking administered by visiting Kennewick, a quality team that didn’t need largesse.
The loss wasn’t the magnitude of the Titanic disaster, but the Mt. Spokane Wildcats baseball team did a good imitation, springing leaks early and ultimately going down with the ship.
The baseball bounced so slowly up the middle it barely made the outfield grass. But it’s a line drive in the scorebook. Jack Slater’s infield hit in the bottom of the seventh inning found no-man’s land between second base and shortstop, scoring Chris Szambelan from second that gave Gonzaga Prep its third one-run victory over Ferris this year.
A year ago Cheney, third in the Great Northern League, was upset by sixth-place East Valley and knocked out of the District 7 2A baseball playoffs in the first round. This year the fifth-seeded Blackhawks (15-7) made successful road trips, winning in Pullman and upsetting GNL champion Clarkston.
The baseball gods, according to Gonzaga Prep coach Brian Munhall, smiled upon the Bullpups. One inning was all it took for his team to knot the District 8 4A playoffs Thursday with a 2-0 victory over Mead at Avista Stadium, forcing a decisive third game to determine the champion.
Thirty years ago David Machtolf’s late uncle Dave and father Mark – Gonzaga University’s baseball coach – were multisport stars whose talents cemented their place among the greatest athletes in Gonzaga Prep lore.
Half a loaf is better than none. East Valley bounced back from a dismal first-game loss Friday to salvage a doubleheader split with visiting Clarkston and a piece of its first Great Northern League baseball title.
Some might call it heresy to take the venerable Baseball Hall of Fame to task. But Matt Sullivan and his good friend Dave Manion weren’t afraid to step into the batter’s box, tap the dirt off their spikes and take a swing. What began as “the brainchild of two close friends who have a deep and abiding love of America’s pastime,” resulted in a treatise they hope to one day have published, “The Fans-Eye View of the Hall of Fame.”
Dr. Jekyll, meet Mr. Hyde. The good doctor’s offense offset his alter ego’s defensive shortcomings and Mt. Spokane held off host Ferris 8-7 in Greater Spokane League baseball. The victory Tuesday afternoon assured the Wildcats the top seed in next week’s District 8 3A playoffs.
Although only a sophomore, J.T. Phelan has already had a major impact on East Valley athletics. He caught touchdown passes in all but two football games and was a standout free safety on defense. He averaged a little more than 14 points per game in basketball and was All-Great Northern League in both sports.
With the Greater Spokane League baseball season winding down, the University Titans have a 3A playoff berth on their minds. Thursday’s game against Central Valley loomed largely in the scheme, and pitcher Austin Sturgis came through in U-Hi’s important 2-0 victory.
When opportunity knocked, Mead seized it and finds itself alone atop Greater Spokane League baseball. Gonzaga Prep’s shortcomings came home to roost and Dan Mattingly’s sixth-inning RBI double, followed by Jason McGowan’s two-run looper, broke up a scoreless ball game lifting the Panthers (12-2) to a 3-1 road triumph.
If it seemed you were looking into a mirror at Thursday’s Mead-Mt. Spokane baseball game after watching Tuesday’s contest, you were. Each team won a game, the Panthers gaining a split of their season series 3-1, and the script nearly played out in identical fashion.
For Harry and Hunter Wells, athletics is genetic. The two West Valley baseball players – Harry at first base, Hunter at shortstop and pitching in relief – have been mainstays for the Eagles this season.
For the second consecutive day, Mt. Spokane faced an opponent’s ace on the road in Greater Spokane League baseball. While still without theirs – although Garrett Hoffnagle did a fine impersonation – this time the Wildcats were rewarded.
