Prep Gets Physical, Tops Nc

Gonzaga Prep paid North Central the ultimate compliment before the showdown between the co-leaders in the Greater Spokane League soccer standings.

The Bullpups changed their attack.

Then the Pups put a 3-0 whipping on the upstart Indians, who only started one senior Wednesday at NC.

“It was a physical game,” Prep coach Christian Birrer said. “All season long we’ve been playing a controlled game. This game, because of NC’s aggressive play, we were forced to play long-ball, which isn’t our style. We have the players to play long-ball but that game only features forwards. We like to feature everyone.”

Still, the Bullpups (9-2, 4-0) had plenty of nice things to say about a team (6-3, 3-1) they drilled 7-1 in a preseason game.

“North Central is the toughest game we’ve had this year,” Birrer said.

Prep got two goals from Nick Ascolese and a goal and an assist from Pat Webinger despite changing its game.

The teams attacked evenly until Prescott Spencer sent a cross from right to left that Jeff Dixson redirected to the middle where Webinger beat Brad Cushman with a header in the 22nd minute.

Ten minutes later, Webinger sent a long ball toward the NC end. Ascolese out-ran the defense and beat Cushman to it just inside the 18-yard line.

The Indians missed a close direct kick between the goals. After the second, they hit the crossbar and sent the point-blank rebound over the goal.

Prep controlled the game in the second half until Ascolese added his second goal in the 66th minute.

Elsewhere, Graem Looper fed John Harnetiaux for the tying header goal, then scored the winner in a 5-4 shootout as Lewis and Clark (4-5, 1-3) beat visiting Shadle Park 2-1 at Hart Field. Charlie Howlett scored late in the first half for Shadle (7-3, 2-2).

Jereme Riccelli scored three goals as Mead (8-3, 3-1) beat Mt. Spokane (2-9, 1-3) 5-1 at Mead Junior High.

Ferris (7-4, 3-1) unleashed three goals after a scoreless 45 minutes for a 3-0 win over visiting Central Valley (4-6, 1-3). Aaron Crary scored from 8 yards after a through ball from Billy Sleeth, and Garth Cummings took Tommy Servine’s pass near midfield and drove for an insurance goal.

Freshman Ben Hatcher chipped in a goal from 23 yards early in the match to start University (5-4, 2-2) toward a 6-0 win over visiting Rogers (1-9, 0-4). U-Hi’s Grant Falco and Mike Damascus scored twice apiece.

Baseball

The Great Northern League ended the day with a four-way tie for first place as Colville, Chewelah and Lakeside won knot idle Medical Lake.

Joe Moe (2-0) pitched a two-hitter and had a two-run double to highlight a seven-run second as Colville (9-0, 3-0) defeated visiting Deer Park 13-2. Jared Bateman’s one-out, two-run triple in the fifth ended the game because of the 10-run rule. Adam Stevens had a two-out, two-run double in the third for the Stags (1-8, 0-3).

Reliever Chris Eggleston (3-0) pitched one-hit ball for five innings, striking out 11, as Chewelah (7-2, 3-0) rallied for a 7-5 victory at Newport (0-7, 0-3).

Sam Dollar had a two-run double in the fourth and two-run homer in the fifth as the Cougars stormed back from a 5-0 deficit. Eggleston added a solo homer in the seventh. Erich Frandrup, Eli Marsh and Duane Kenobbie homered for the Grizzlies.

Adam Christen’s three-run double highlighted a six-run fourth as Lakeside (4-3, 3-0) notched a 12-6 win at Riverside (3-6, 0-3).

Lakeside’s Lain Ashley added three hits. Riverside’s Seth Schurtz went 2 for 4, with a triple. He is hitting .621, with 12 extra-base hits, for the season.

Softball

East Valley’s Frontier League game at Clarkston was postponed by rain and rescheduled for May 5.