EV On Top With Its Best Still To Come

East Valley’s 5-4 victory over Clarkston on Tuesday spoke volumes about the Knight baseball season.

The visiting Bantams sent 10 batters to the plate in the final inning, scoring all four runs, but it did no good.

Coach Kurt Krauth was left shaking his head over the win, that typified EV’s season. One-third of the way through, the Knights are 6-1 and first in the Frontier League.

“You know, we haven’t played well yet, but have been finding ways to win which is nice,” he said.

Timely hitting, accommodating opponents and new heroes have enabled the Knights to win the games by a total of 11 runs.

Included was a 7-6 victory over Cheney after getting thrashed 13-1, and Tuesday’s 5-4 win over Clarkston.

The Knights recently moved freshman Raymond Ruiz up to varsity and he has sparkled at shortstop. Sophomore Jeff Shaffer came up with him from junior varsity after going 9 for 10 at bat with seven extra base hits. He homered against Clarkston.

Senior Paul McDavid pitched five shutout innings against Clarkston. He also has hit a double against Pullman, triple against Riverside and home run against Cheney to spark three narrow wins.

Mike Wall, whose RBI single and daring base-running produced the winning run against Clarkston, has had six hits in his last four games.

“I don’t know how we’ve won our games,” said Krauth. “We’ve had breaks go our way, yet when they go against us the players don’t quit.”

The Clarkston game was an example. After giving up four seventh-inning runs, EV left the Bantams with the bases loaded and out of first place.

West Valley, 3-3, hosts Clarkston in a doubleheader today and EV Tuesday in a single game. The outcomes will determine WV’s season in the tight five-team race.

Alignment of stars favors U-Hi

Last year at this time, University High’s baseball team record was 3-1, the only loss to Central Valley.

Even with a new lineup, this year to date the same is true. Coach Don Ressa credits a favorable alignment of the stars.

Actually, it may have something to do with a Titan star, left-handed senior pitcher Nick Spunich.

He has worked in all three of U-Hi’s victories, allowing three runs while pitching goose eggs in 15 of 16 innings worked.

“A senior pitcher should be a dominating pitcher,” said Ressa, after Spunich pitched no-hit baseball Thursday against North Central for five innings before giving up an infield single in the sixth. He struck out 13. U-Hi won 9-0.

“This was the best outing for me this year,” said Spunich. “I felt totally in control out there - for five innings at least.”

In the sixth, with one out, he gave up the hit, a grounder to deep shortstop and hit two batters before finishing up with his final two strikeouts.

“When his slider and curve’s going, it makes your life miserable,” said Ressa. He’s been having trouble with his curve, but it’s coming.”

Coming along, too, are the newcomers in the lineup.

“We’re hitting the ball,” said Ressa. “We need a couple or three of the remaining arms (pitchers) to step up. If they do we’ll make noise.”

U-Hi may be benefitting from proper alignment of the planets, but CV has not.

Injuries, erratic pitching and hitting have all worked against the Bears, said coach Ed Garcia.

After giving up 11 and 13 runs - and winning the first game -, CV got five innings of shutout pitching from Erik Eigenhuis and brilliant defense up the middle to lead 2-0.

But the team ultimately lost 3-2 to Shadle Park.

“It was a big game,” said Garcia. “If we win we’re one game out of first.”

The Bears then barely beat Lewis and Clark, also 3-2.

“We’re not hitting. I’m just shocked,” Garcia said.

Brothers first in state meet

Northwest Gymnastics Academy competitors Isaac and Kevin Olson won their divisions of the Washington State Men’s Gymnastics championships at Bainbridge Island.

Kevin Olson won rings, pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar for a 36.5 score in Level V, age 10-11. Isaac won floor exercise, pommel horse and parallel bars in Level VI, 7-9, to win with a 32.7 score.

During Junior Elite Class I, Ryan Wellborn was third all around with a 49.21 score and Beau DeWitt was third on pommel horse.

Level III gymnast Aaron Sheck finished third all around at 41.05, Dillon Reeve placed in the top four twice and Glen Hannibal once.

Elsewhere, Stewart Renz was third all around in Level V. In Level IV, 12-13, Nick Antich was third at 35.65 and Brian Velategui placed second on rings and pommel horse for fifth overall.

Nine NWGA team members have qualified for regional competition next Saturday in Portland, including Byers, Velategui, Antich, Reeve, Sheck, DeWitt, Wellborn, Olson and Renz.

Golfers begin season

Liberty Lake Ladies 9-Holers began their season with medal play.

Low gross leaders were Elaine Tai with 52 in A flight, Joanne Ruddell with 55 in B, Bea Jackson with 62 in C flight and Vi Bormes with 72 in D.

Net leaders were Joan Leighton with 40 in A, Polly Soderquist with 36 in B, Helen Inman with 40 in C.

No handicap winner was Sally Martin with 62.

Results from Liberty Lake 18s

First turnout for the Liberty Lake 18-Hole group produced Billie Etter’s low gross 96 score in A flight.

Other leaders were Marion Jordan with 101 in B, Margaret Brashears with 114 in C and Phyliss Bunkowske with 123 in D.

Net leaders were Alice Shattuck and Jean Hatcher at 81 in A, Freda Beckman with 83 in B, Marilyn McKenna with 94 in C and Barb Buteux with 86 in D.

Spokane Elite takes title

When Spokane Elite Gymnastics athletes won last weekend’s State Level 9 championship in Puyallup, it was the first time, Coach Bob Ito said, that an eastern Washington team won the title.

“Within the memory of everyone here, which extends back eight or nine years, there’s never been title one,” said SEG coach Bob Ito. “Spokane Elite certainly hasn’t won it.”

SEG won by the narrowest of margins, 107.125 to 107.075 over Emerald City Gymnastics. Third place Grace Gymnastics scored 107.025.

Top three scores in four events, gleaned from all age categories, 12-13 to 16-older determine a team title.

Six girls made up the team, four of them from the Valley.

They were Jaime Brunner, Lindsay Brandle, Brooke Bishop and Karlee Poirier.

Brunner won bars, floor exercise and was second on beam in the 16-older group. Brandle was third all around and Bishop finished second on beam at 9.2 in the 14-15 age group “The beam is what won us the meet,” said Ito. “We outscored everybody by almost two points.”

Seay Thornton (first all around in 14-15, winning beam and placing third on bars), Bishop and Melony Monaghan (12-13) scored between 9.275 and 9.0 in the event.

Monaghan, Brandle and Thornton were top scorers in vault and uneven bars. Floor exercise leaders were Brunner, Brandle and Thornton.

“We’re really excited,” said Ito. “Half of gymnastics is getting people to notice you. To win state for the first time on the east side woke people up.”

, DataTimes