Elston Leads Qualifying For Tourney

Lani Elston of Ferris High had the top girls score, a 13-over 157, as the Washington Junior Golf Association wrapped up state qualifying for the Optimist International/Junior World Championships.

Elston shot a 77 Tuesday at Capitol City Golf Course in Olympia, then shot 80 Wednesday.

The top six qualified for the July national tournament. Ryan Camp of Ferris missed the cut at 151.

Defending champion Bill Porter shot a 3-under-par 69 for a three-stroke lead heading into today’s final round of the Sunriver Oregon Open. Porter is at 5-under 139.

Mark Gardner of The Creek at Qualchan shot a 72 and is tied for seventh at 146. Michael Rorholm of Liberty Lake Golf Course is at 147 and Steve Prugh of Manito Golf and Country Club is another shot back. Both shot 73s.

Corey Prugh of Ferris shot an even-par 72 for the first-round lead in the boys 15-17 division at the PGA Junior Series at Indian Summer Golf Course in Olympia.

Ferris’ Reid Hatley is tied for second, one shot behind Prugh.

Elston is tied for third in the girls 15-17 division, four shots back, after a 6-over 78. Spokane’s Sarah Bassett shot an 88 and is in second place, five shots off the pace, in the girls 13-14 division.

Baseball

Three players from the Spokane Heat will be playing today for the National Amateur Baseball Federation in the title game of the National Amateur All-Star Baseball Tournament in Chicago.

National All-Star teams from Dixie Ball, Pony, Senior Babe Ruth, Connie Mack and NABF, plus a Chicago-area team, played a round-robin format this week with the NABF earning the title matchup with the Connie Mack squad.

The three Heat players on the team are Eric Sandberg, Ferris; B.J. Garbe, Moses Lake; and Jason Cooper, Moses Lake.

The title game will be shown at 11 a.m. on Fox Sports Chicago, available locally only on satellite.

Chris Marshall’s three-hitter for the Royals created a tie for first place in Senior American Legion play in Spokane.

Marshall struck out four as the Royals (2-4) defeated the Pullman Patriots 10-2 in five innings to split a doubleheader at Jackson Field.

Pullman (5-3) dropped into a first-place tie with the idle Cannons.

Pullman won the opener 8-5 as Bryan Myers scattered four hits and struck out nine in six innings.

Steve Chamberlain preserved the win, striking out the side in the seventh. Pullman’s Nick Paulson went 3 for 5.

Joe Moll hit a three-run homer, and Justin Drake, Brandon Florence and Brian Crowder added two-run shots as the Bandits (4-5) edged the Blue Devils 12-10 at Whitworth.

Eric Bell of the Blue Devils (3-3) had a three-run homer in the first. The Bandits’ Brad Valkenaar relieved after the homer and pitched five strong innings.

Junior hockey

Spokane Chiefs defenseman Kyle Rossiter was named Canadian Hockey League Gatorade Scholastic Player of the Year on Wednesday in Toronto.

Rossiter, of Edmonton, Alberta, is expected to be an early selection during Saturday’s National Hockey League entry draft.

Soccer

The boys U-19 Spokane Falcons advanced to the playoffs after defeating Arcadia/Scottsdale (Ariz.) Blackhawk Storm 4-3 Wednesday at the Snickers U.S. Youth Far West Regional in Albuquerque, N.M.