Ferris, Freeman Players Help Win Title

Baseball

The Browne Mountain Bandits swept four games to win the championship of the Skagit Valley Invitational tournament in Bellingham.

The team, made up of University, Ferris and Freeman baseball players, beat Edmonds 6-2, Stilly River 4-2 and the Seattle Knights 12-1, and Everett 9-4 in the title game.

Freeman grad Ken Beeler hit safely in all four wins, including a four-hit effort in the opener and home run against Stilly River.

He went 9 for 13 to lead the team.

Ferris’ Justin Drake hit safely in three games and finished with five hits overall. Jeff Dahmen hit two home runs and played outstanding defense, said coach Don O’Neal.

In addition, Saxon pitchers Derek Fountain, with 6-1/3 innings of no-hit relief, and Jim Gewalt each earned a victory. Bandit pitchers had a 0.75 ERA in the tournament.

The Bandits are also among the Spokane AAA American Legion leaders through three games.

They lost Tuesday to trail the Royals, another South Side team, by half a game.

The Royals, including Lewis and Clark, Cheney and Medical Lake players, along with athletes from Gonzaga Prep also lost and are 3-1.

In AA competition, Kimmel Athletic, from Ferris, has compiled a 6-3 record and is in fourth place in the South Division of the Legion league.

Kimmel hosts Spokane Federal Credit Union tonight and Grocery Outlet on Friday and is at Freeman against Grocery Outlet on Saturday.

Tuesday the team travels to Clarkston against the current division leaders.

Through the weekend, Ferris’ A League team had lost just once to stand fourth in the South, just ahead of Doc’s Muffler (LC) and McDonald’s (Cheney).

Ferris and Doc’s Muffler are scheduled for a noon contest Saturday at Hart Field.

Both teams have games every day but Wednesday of next week.

, DataTimes