Spokane To Host Aaa Legion Fourth Of July Tournament

American Legion baseball teams from as far away as El Segundo, Calif., will challenge Spokane’s five AAA teams at a Fourth of July tournament that begins this morning.

The 12-team tourney, at four sites, will run through Sunday afternoon.

Joining Spokane’s teams - the Royals, Cannons, Bandits, Blue Devils and North Stars - are the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen, Prairie Cardinals of Post Falls, Billings (Mont.) Royals, Great Falls (Mont.) Stallions, El Segundo, and the Vancouver (Wash.) Royals and city neighbor Northco Angels.

Tourney sites are Jackson Field, Gonzaga University, Whitworth College and Seafirst Stadium. The title game is set for 2 p.m. Sunday at Seafirst.

Fans, players and coaches are invited to a breakfast fund-raiser, starting at 8:30 Friday morning at Jackson. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for kids younger than 12.

George Petticrew (5-0) hit a grand slam, drove in six runs and allowed three hits in five innings as the Blue Devils (9-3) beat the Cannons 12-1 at Whitworth College to take over first place in the AAA league.

Petticrew, who struck out 10, had a two-run double in the fourth and a grand slam, his fourth homer, in the fifth. Steve Warren added a pair of RBI singles and an RBI grounder.

Jeremy Isherwood of the Cannons (7-5) doubled home Bill Tincup, who had singled, in the first.

Seven area AA teams are entered in a 12-team tourney today through Sunday at Central Valley High. The title game is scheduled at 2 p.m. Sunday at Jackson.

Volleyball

Spokane Splash New Balance won three of four matches in the U16 division of the Kaepa Volleyball Festival in Sacramento, Calif.

The team qualified for the top 16 of the 320-team tourney. Its loss came to top-seeded Orange County (Calif.), 15-8, 15-3.

Also at the tourney, Spokane Splash 16s lost three matches and dropped into a lower pool.

Performance All Out, a U12 team from Spokane, won the consolation bracket at last weekend’s junior national championships in Denver.

Coach Mike Sacco’s roster included Shannon Bell, Laura Diluzio, Noelle Hill, Amy Miesen-Weirs, Janelle Yochum, Erin Kells, Jody Schock and Sara Burns.

Basketball

Dave Ebersole, girls coach at Class A Onalaska the last seven years, has been hired as the new girls coach at Colfax.

Terry Asbjornsen, who resigned in April, averaged 17 wins over five years.

, DataTimes