Wv, EV Will Try To Keep Glory To Themselves Again

REPLAY: Sports, March 30, 1996: Rachelle Watson, outfielder on the West Valley girls softball team, was misidentified as Rachel Watkins in Thursday’s editions.

The West Valley and East Valley high school softball teams have a definite problem when it comes to sharing.

The Eagles and the Knights just won’t let anyone else win the Frontier League title.

WV has been to the state tournament nine of the last 11 years, while the Knights have been to the state tournament three consecutive seasons.

For WV, the Eagles will once again ride the right arm of junior pitcher Darcy Sohns. She is one of 11 returnees from the ‘95 squad which won the league and district tournament titles.

“Our goal is to make it to districts and let the chips fall where they may,” WV coach Steve Kent said. “Pitching will be our strength.”

League play started last week.

Others expected to make significant contributions for the Eagles are leadoff hitter/outfielder Carie Koker, third baseman Kate Waldron and first baseman Jolie Jensen.

Sophomore Gabrielle McClintock moves from the outfield, where she was a first-team all-Frontier selection, to shortstop.

Kent is also hoping for key contributions from Andrea Green, Jennifer Robinson, Alyssa Hendricks, Sara Shawen and Rachel Watkins to offset the loss of four players from last year’s team to graduation.

For the Knights, they will have to overcome the loss of seven seniors, but EV first-year coach Randy Burkhart will have pitchers Kim Stern, Tricia Stookey and Rebecca Triplett to help minimize those departures.

“We have some real big holes to fill and the girls will have to step in and play well,” Burkhart said.

EV will also have sophomore Michelle Morgan in its lineup. She lost an eye when she was shot last summer at a Spokane drive-in restaurant. She will play at shortstop.

“She’s been doing OK,” Burkhart said. “She’s had a little trouble with her depth perception on line drives, but she has a lot of desire. I’m hoping for the best for her.”

As for the rest of the league, if there is a team that could challenge the Valley powers, Colville could be it.

Last week, the Indians beat visiting EV 1-0 when sophomore pitcher Tarrah Brown allowed the Knights just two hits. Brown was a second-team all-league selection as a freshman last season.

At Cheney, the Blackhawks return first-team all-leaguer Carla Werrington, a senior, while Clarkston has Rochelle King back for her junior year.

As for Pullman and first-year league member Riverside, those two teams will be hard-pressed to get wins.

The Greyhounds are off to a 0-3 start, and have been defeated 16-0 by Clarkston, and 18-1 and 15-0 by EV in a doubleheader.

For Riverside, the Rams lost 13-1 to Cheney in their league opener.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: FRONTIER SOFTBALL Defending league and district champ: West Valley. Qualifiers to state playoffs: WV, East Valley. Predicted order of finish: WV, EV, Colville, Cheney, Clarkston, Pullman, Riverside. Returning all-league players: First team - Darcy Sohns, Gabby McClintock and Carrie Koker, WV; Carla Werrington, Cheney; Heather Brown and Heather Wood, Colville. Second team - Katie Waldorn, Tricia Stookey, Angie Stroh and Wendy Stredwick, EV; Rochelle King, Marci Frei and Christy Gibble, Clarkston; Tarrah Brown, Colville.