West Valley Earns Tie Atop Frontier

Prep roundup

Streaking West Valley, winner of six straight baseball games and eight of its last nine, has moved into a first-place tie in the Frontier League with four games remaining.

The host Eagles had 26 hits Saturday to sweep Colville 14-4 and 8-6, earning a share of the league lead at 8-3 with East Valley.

Kyle Closs swung a big bat as WV did major damage to Colville (4-7) in the third inning of both games.

In the opener, WV scored 10 times in the third on as many hits. In game two, the Eagles had a sixrun, six-hit third.

Closs was 4 for 5 on the day with six runs batted in, a double and a triple. All told, the Eagles smashed 10 extra-base hits for winning pitchers Tyson Sohns (6-1) and Andy Imada (2-2).

Cheney failed to catch the leaders in the taut league race, splitting a home doubleheader with East Valley to remain a game behind.

The Blackhawks (7-4) won the opener 7-5, rallying following a five-run Knights fifth inning. Two errors, three walks and Keith Osso’s two-run double accounted for EV’s scores.

RBI doubles by C.J. Albin and Bryan Miller in the bottom of the inning put Cheney back ahead, and Albin doubled home another run in the sixth for insurance.

The Knights (8-3) returned the favor by breaking a 7-7 tied in the second game with three seventh-inning runs.

Included was winning pitcher Steve Pipkin’s run-scoring double, his third hit of the game.

EV’s Osso went 5 for 8, giving him a team-leading 29 hits in 11 games. Albin was 5 for 7 with five RBIs, and Miller 4 for 7 with four RBIs for the Blackhawks.

By sweeping Pullman 11-3 and 11-8 in Pullman, Clarkston tied the Greyhounds for fifth place. Both teams are 3-8.

An eight-run fourth inning to win game one included five walks, a hit batter and three-run error, as well as Tim Porter’s two-run double.

In game two, the Bantams scored four runs in the seventh inning to rally from behind. Chad Adams’ second hit of the game drove in the deciding run.

Frontier League softball

East Valley and Cheney, the closest challengers to unbeaten West Valley, split their doubleheader at EV.

Both are 4-2, two games behind the leaders.

Cheney won the opener 7-5 with a three-run third inning, and single runs in each of the final three to offset EV’s late rally.

Pitcher Genni Gardner threw a five-hitter, struck out five and didn’t walk anyone. Jennifer Warrington went 3 for 4 and drove in three runs.

In the second game, EV had back-to-back three-run innings in the fifth and sixth. Freshman hurler Tricia Stookey helped her cause with two hits and four RBIs.

Frontier League soccer

League leader Cheney (8-0-1) scored four times in the first 26 minutes during a 4-0 win at home against Colville.

The midfield and strikers dominated play, with Cheney outshooting Colville 33-8.

The Blackhawks opened ground on runner-up East Valley (5-2-1), which was upset 1-0 in Pullman (5-3).

The only score came 11 minutes into the game by Brent Johnson, and then sweeper Sean McEldowney took over defensively.

Host West Valley (5-3-1) routed short-handed Clarkston (0-7-1) 11-0 as three different players had two goals.

Frontier League golf

Host Pullman won a playoff with Lewiston to win the Pullman Invitational Golf Tournament at Moscow Country Club in Idaho.

The teams tied with 320 scores. Each team’s four golfers then played an extra hole, with Pullman finishing 3-over par and Lewiston 5-over.

Pullman’s Ryan Ressa was medalist at 75, two strokes ahead of four others.

Freeman Invitational Track

Mead’s second-tier distance runners were as formidable as most schools’ front-liners during the Freeman Invitational.

In three long races, five Panthers combined to score 49 of champion Mead’s 99 points.

Included was Jason Fayant, who finished first in the 3,200 at 10:03.3 and second in the 1,600 at 4:32.5; David Mooney, who won the 800 in 2:04.0; and Aaron Lohde, who placed twice.

The Panthers also scored big in the long jump and shot put.

Lakeside sprinter Jason Quimby won three events as did Ritzville hurdler-high jumper Travis Hille, who had solid marks.

Newport finished second in the girls meet with 63 points, including three second-places from thrower Michelle Carrara.

Double winners during the girls meet included Ritzville sprinter Katie Phipps and Lakeside distance runner Lindsay McElroy.

NEA softball

Tiffany McMurphy pitched a no-hitter during Riverside’s 13-2 win over Deer Park in the second game of a doubleheader sweep.

McMurphy struck out four and walked seven.

Riverside (7-1), won the opener 8-1 and is alone in second in the Northeast A League.