Shadle Keeps Pace

Prep softball

There were no thoughts of the past when Shadle Park defeated Lewis and Clark 5-0 in Greater Spokane League softball Tuesday.

Coach Janie VandeBerg wouldn’t allow assumptions of what to expect from a team that had beaten the Highlanders nearly three weeks earlier.

“It was like we’d never played them before,” she said.

VandeBerg’s strategy took care of the mental part of the game. Sophomore pitcher Jessica Murray took care of the physical details.

Murray hurled her fifth shutout and doubled home the winning runs to keep Shadle firmly entrenched in the GSL title race.

The victory left the Highlanders (7-2) alone in second place, one game behind University (8-1) midway through the season.

The Titans beat Rogers (6-3), 3-2. LC and Central Valley, a 5-1 victor over Mead, are tied for third with the Pirates.

Gonzaga Prep (4-5), a 3-0 winner over Mt. Spokane (4-5), moved into the playoff hunt. Ferris (2-7) kept North Central winless, 12-0.

“I honestly think Jessica is getting better each game,” said VandeBerg. “She had more speed on the ball than I’ve seen in six games.”

As a result, Murray was able to work out of jams in the second and fourth innings, leaving runners at second and third by getting five of her game-high 12 strikeouts.

She doubled home two third-inning runs following a pair of walks. Shadle added three more runs on bunts.

“I haven’t seen them look so confident,” said VandeBerg. “Instead of worrying about what they were not doing they were excited about what they did.”

A triple and throwing error in the seventh inning enabled University to remain atop the GSL.

With one out, Vanessa Shelton hit a ball to deep center field and scored when Rogers threw the ball away at third base.

The Titans had led 2-0, but the Pirates rallied with a two-run squeeze bunt.

Central Valley won its fourth straight game to continue its upward climb in the standings.

Shanelle Test scattered nine hits while striking out 10 and allowed only one run, in the fifth inning.

By then, the Bears had the lead, adding to it in the sixth and seventh.

CV’s Kristen Heuett went 4 for 4 and drove in a run.

The Bullpups got three runs in the sixth inning of a scoreless game on RBI singles by Molly Bayne and Chrissy Sterling and a squeeze bunt by Erica Naccarato. Bayne also tripled to make Christy Thorne (3-0) the winning pitcher.

Ferris’ Heather Clark ended the Saxons-Indians game early by hitting a three-run home run with none out in the fifth inning.

Colleen Melody scored three runs and drove in another with four hits. Maria Ruddell hit her fourth home run of the year while scoring twice and driving in a pair.

Rebecca Triplett (7-1) struck out three and scattered eight hits as visiting East Valley (11-2, 4-0) defeated Cheney 4-1 to stretch its lead in the Frontier League.

EV had three consecutive hits during a three-run third. The Knights’ Malea Schumacher had three hits, with a double. Kira Bliss of Cheney (5-5, 1-1) had two hits.

Amber Puett had a two-run single in the sixth to tie the game, then scored on Jamie Entwistle’s two-out single as Colville (6-5, 4-0 Great Northern League) edged visiting Deer Park 9-8.

Puett finished with four RBIs to support Lindsey Terry (3-1), who fanned three and scattered six hits.

Also in the GNL, Marissa Greene hit a grand slam in an 11-run third, as Medical Lake (6-3, 3-1) won 16-1 over Chewelah (2-4, 1-2).

Kelly Schneider hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Pullman (7-1, 2-1) beat visiting Riverside 12-2.

The Greyhounds’ Kelly Couch was 3 for 4, with a double. Sarah Marsura of the Rams (2-4, 1-3) had two hits.

Jenny Frazier had four hits and two RBIs during Colfax’s 21-0 win over visiting Newport (0-9, 0-5). Jackie Becker added three hits and three RBIs, and Beezer Cocking pitched a four-hitter for Colfax (2-3, 2-1).