Ewu Offense Picks Apart Ailing Defense

Brian Sherick and the Eastern Washington University first-team offense took advantage of a young, injury-depleted defense Saturday in the Eagles’ final football scrimmage before next weekend’s annual Red-White Game.

Sherick, a 1993 University High graduate, completed 12 of 13 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns to solidify his status as the leading candidate at quarterback.

“Our execution at wide receiver and quarterback was uncanny,” second-year EWU coach Mike Kramer said. “(Sherick) just had one of those days. It was just a matter of a guy with a little experience with receivers with lots of experience against a secondary with no experience.”

When Sherick and friends were finished, various EWU defensive alignments had surrendered 620 yards on 95 plays.

Receivers Tobin Phelphs (four catches for 93 yards and one touchdown), Jeff Ogden (5-73-2), Scott Johnson (6-56-0) and Jerrold Jackson (2-52-1) joined tight end Tim Hunsaker (3-74-0) to exploit a weak secondary. Senior starting tight end Jesse Hardt, an all-conference pick as a junior, rested an injured knee.

Running backs Rex Prescott (77 yards) and David Lewis (72) found room, although each fumbled.

“It was a veritable circus,” Kramer said. “Not an aerial circus, just a circus, because we’re so beat up.”

Scott Bond, battling Sherick, Josh Lies and Harry Leons at QB, completed 14 of 19 for 141 yards with scoring strikes of 30 and 43 yards.

Center Kevin Peterson and tackle Tom Ackerman led an offensive line that had its way against a front four that must replace four starters from last year’s team. Injuries to three projected replacements only compounded the defensive problems.

College baseball

Don O’Neal hit a three-run homer, his 11th of the year, to support winner Lance Rickman (4-0) as Whitworth defeated Lewis & Clark 7-4 to split a Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges doubleheader at Portland.

A six-run second inning helped L&C to a 14-4 win in the opener.

Whitworth (8-6, 17-15-1) travels to Tacoma next weekend to take on first-place Pacific Lutheran with first place on the line.

During the Pirates’ win, Sean Peterson was 2 for 4 with three RBIs. O’Neal’s homer gave Whitworth a 5-1 lead in the fifth. Rickman struck out five in 7 innings and reliever Jeff Green earned his fourth save.

The Pioneers’ big inning in the opener came from four hits and three walks. Whitworth’s Larry Turner had a solo homer, his second, and Peterson had two doubles.

L & C 14-4, Whitworth 4-7 Whitwrth 100 020 1 - 4 9 1 L & C 160 430 x - 14 12 0

Stevens, Wark (2), Koder (5) and Schuerman; Maynard and Pounder. W-Maynard. L-Stevens (1-3).

HITS: Whitworth - Turner 2, Good, Peterson 2, O’Neal 2, Smith, Sundet. Lewis & Clark - Baughman, Cannan, Rust 2, Fellows 2, Roofener, Velander 2, Sadler, Jones, Pounder. 2B-Peterson 2, Baughman, Cannan, Rust. HR-Turner (2), Roofener, Velander.

Whitwrt 110 030 002 - 7 9 0 L & C 000 100 030 - 4 13 4

Rickman, McDougal (8), Green (9) and O’Neal; D’Alessio, Erickson (7), Lindley (9), Lambert (9) and Pounder. W-Rickman (4-0). L-D’Alessio. S-Green (4).

HITS: Whitworth - Turner, Good, Peterson 2, O’Neal, Smith, Fukai, Sundet 2. Lewis & Clark - Baughman, Cannan 2, Rust 2, Fellows 3, Roofener 2, Velander, Jones, Pounder. 2B-Cannan, Velander. HR-O’Neal (11), Rust, Roofener.

Carl Clark and Jason Mathews had four RBIs apiece in the opener and first-time starter Shane Rice earned a win in the nightcap as Community Colleges of Spokane swept Big Bend CC 17-4, 13-6 in NWAACC East Region play at Moses Lake.

The Sasquatch (16-7, 18-11) remains in a first-place battle with Walla Walla CC. Big Bend is 10-12 in conference.

In the opener, Clark had a three-run homer in the first and an RBI double in the second, when Mathews added a basesclearing triple. Jason Uberuaga was 4 for 4 and Andy Sage 4 for 5 to support winner Charlie Zimmerman (7-1).

Second-game starter Rice struck out seven in 6 innings before giving way to Kory Kimball, who struck out four. Sage, Tyson Best and Chris Melsness had two RBIs apiece for CCS.

Spokane 17-13, Big Bend 4-6 Spokane 356 03 - 17 20 1 Big Bend 130 00 - 4 5 0

Zimmerman and Mathews; Tripp, Lockhart (3) and Sorreia. W-Zimmerman (7-1). L-Tripp.

HITS: Spokane-Ripke 3, Sage 4, Uberuaga 4, Mathews, Clark 2, Fischer, Best 2, Walker, Melsness 2. Big Bend-Diaz, Adams, Cann, Rodriguez, Correia. 2B-Uberuaga, Clark, Fischer, Best, Melsness. 3B-Mathews, Best. HR-Clark (2).

Spokane 007 021 021 - 13 15 1 Big Bend 002 000 400 - 6 10 5

Rice, Kimball (7) and McCord; Enriquez, Doumit (7), Lockhart (8) and Correia, Diaz (7). W-Rice (1-0). L-Enriquez.

HITS: Spokane-Sage, Uberuaga, Mathews 2, McCord 2, Fischer 2, Best 2, Walker 3, Melsness 2. Big Bend-Diaz, Cann, Sheppard 2, DeLeon 2, Koontz, Enriquez, Green, Shavez. 2B-Mathews, Fischer, Walker, Sheppard, Koontz, Green. 3B-Diaz. HR-Cann.

Crew

The University of Washington men and women swept the varsity eight races at the Windermere Cup on Seattle’s Lake Washington.

The UW women finished the 2,000-meter course in 6 minutes, 39.71 seconds to defeat two-time defending national champion Princeton (6:41.57). Washington’s men finished in 5:58.18.

WSU finished second in the women’s Cascade Cup, the women’s novice eight and the men’s open eight. Gonzaga finished third in the men’s Cascade Cup. Washington won all four of those races.