With Tournaments Coming Up, Pro Shop Makes A Statement

Jim Frazier Pro Shop made last week’s series of games against its closest Spokane Valley Baseball challengers look easy.

The Giant League American Division team beat then co-leader Valley Firefighters 15-2 and third-place Leo’s Photography 9-2 to win the division.

National Division Olympic Sports stayed unbeaten with a 9-6 win over third-place Greenacres Gypsum.

A game behind, Les Schwab Tire won three times.

Brandon Strobel fanned 10 during a 12-3 win over Perfection Tire. During a 24-3 win over Banner Fuel, Adam Stultz pitched four shutout innings and went 5-for-5 with a double and home run to drive in eight runs.

Strobel, Jason Paul and David Marlow also had 5-for-5 nights.

The team played Olympic Sports Wednesday night with a chance to share the league title.

Spokane Valley Baseball tournaments begin on Monday for Giants and Pee Wee Leagues.

The Giant tournament is loser-out, as in seasons past. This year, however, the surviving eight teams after Monday’s initial round go into double-elimination play.

Games will continue to be played on Wednesday and Friday of next week, and Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of the following week.

Single-elimination Pee Wee tournament games will be held on Monday and Wednesday and Midget tournament games will be Tuesday and Thursday over the next two weeks.

Championship games of all three leagues will be part of a day-long event at West Valley High School, Saturday July 27, on the junior varsity field.

Midget teams clinch titles

Ashco Insurance in the American Division and Norma’s Burger Barn in the National are a win away from perfect regular season records.

Both are 11-0 heading into this evening’s final games after locking up their respective titles.

During last week’s games, 8-3 Adams won two of three games, including 16-8 over Valley Kiwanis.

Winning pitcher Jacob Sonsalla went 3-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored.

A five-run seventh inning lifted fourth-place Broadway Eye Care over third-place Greenacres 7-6 in the National Division.

Pitchers Michael Koentopp and Brett Neste delivered two-run hits. Neste, who had tripled, scored the winner on Brett Hite’s line drive hit.

The two pitchers combined to strike out 16 batters and Neste drove in four runs with three hits.

In earlier games, Brandon Michielli and Pete Walter combined for a three-hit shutout for Northwest Fence over Trentwood in the American Division.

National runnerup Ethan Allen managed just three hits during a 5-2 win over McDonalds, but catcher Brent Fox threw out three runners attempting to steal second to stymie his foe.

Pee Wee team turns tables

A week after losing for the first time, Pee Wee American Division team Jim Psomas DDS reasserted its claim to the title.

The team handed Norma’s Burger Barn its first loss, 10-4, in a game that proved meaningful after all.

Ryan Bushnell had two hits, including a three-run double, and also scored twice.

Pitcher-catcher Karl Womack struck out six batters in two innings and threw out two runners attempting to steal second base in the fifth.

While the top two American Division places are clear-cut, the National Division is in turmoil.

Most of the contenders took hits last week, including former leader Syncor, which was beaten three times.

That lifted Valley Instant Printing into the lead with two games left.

VIP beat Valley Electric 7-3 and survived a five-run Svedala rally in the sixth inning to win 9-7.

Living on the edge, Screen Tek moved temporarily to the top with a 22-15 win over Syncor. The team scored 10 runs in the fourth inning, but had to rally for the win with a nine-run sixth.

Included were a grand-slam home run by Justin Beck and three-run homer by Brady Kenworthy.

Earlier, Beck’s grand slam in the sixth produced a 7-6 win over May-Davis Inc.

But the team was beaten Monday by CXT to fall a half game behind.

Syncor and White Elephant, which also lost Monday are a now two games back in the loss column.

During league highlights, Brandon Humphrey and Aaron Grothe hit grand slam home runs for Opportunity against Adams.

American Division contender Neurosurgery Assoc. won two of three games, getting strong pitching and hitting from Matt Johnston and Jeremy Kline.

They combined for 32 strikeouts in 13 innings. Johnston had five hits and seven RBIs in two of the games, including two home runs. Kline had four hits and five RBIs, including a triple and two doubles.

White pitches fastpitch no-no

Spokane Valley Stars 14-U pitcher Leslie White pitched a no-hitter, striking out 11 during a 10-0 win over Silver Bullets in the Spokane Fastpitch League.

She will attend Freeman High School.

The Stars are playing up a league in the 16-U division. Earlier, the team won a 14-U tourney in Kalispell, Mont., winning five straight games.

Drag racers fare well

Following the mid-season championships at Spokane Raceway Park, Valley pro-eliminator drag racers continue to fare well.

Racing a Ford Mustang, Liberty Lake’s Tom Manfred stands second with 300 points, only 30 points from the lead.

Dave Viall from Millwood is fourth with 255 points in his Chevy Camaro.

In sixth at 225 is Dale Rounsville, also driving a Camaro. Mark Resen, driving a Chevy Vega, shares seventh with 180 points.

Points races are every Saturday night through September.

Painted Hills medal winners

Painted Hills Ladies Club conducted medal play prior to the July 4 holiday.

Winners of low gross flight honors were Danice Deckard, who shot 43 in A flight, Cheryl Winkler who had 51 in B flight, Connie Culley with a 53 in C flight and Cathy Diehl with 60 in D flight.

Joining the group was Lesa Hambleton who shot 49 for the no-handicap win.

Net winners included Sharon Halsey, who birdied the first hole on way to a net 30 in A flight.

Nancy Lochmiller netted 32 in B, Marji Evenson had 28 in C and Gail Fox had 35 in D.

Idell Choate chipped in from off the green on the seventh hole.

, DataTimes