Richards Wins First Series Race

Spokane’s Kevin Richards turned his dismal NASCAR Winston West racing season around in just one afternoon by collecting his first career series victory Saturday afternoon at Monroe’s Evergreen Speedway.

Richards finished ahead of Sean Woodside and Brandon Ash in the Coors Light 200 on the five-eighths-mile race track.

Richards, who missed the 1998 series rookie title by just a point, entered the 1999 season with a great deal of momentum. His season, however, had been one frustrating finish after another.

Saturday, Richards collected just his second top-10 finish in eight races this season.

In-line hockey

Spokane Jackels placed fifth in the 17-18-year-old division at the USA National In-line Hockey Championships during the weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Jackels, sponsored by Cook Forms and Valley Sports Arena, placed third in their pool to qualify for the medal rounds, but were eliminated 2-1 by the Mad Hatters of Dallas, which finished third. Beach Boys from San Diego won the division.

James McInerney and Josh Robinson scored two goals each for the Jackels during the tournament with Tyson Knudsen, Erick Knudsen and Dane Robertson scoring once each.

Valley Sports Arena’s 16-and-under team, the Greyhounds, will play Wednesday in the national tournament in Des Moines.

Greyhounds coach Todd Tortorellie played for Team Minnesota, which finished third in the senior gold division.

Tortorellie and Dane Robertson of Spokane tried out for Team USA for the World Tournament, but weren’t selected.

Youth baseball

Seedings didn’t mean much in the loser-out opening round of the Junior American Legion playoffs. All lower-seeded teams won.

Hallmark Automotive, No. 6 out of the North, hammered No. 3 Spokane Storm 14-3 in five innings and North No. 5 Northwest Athletics whipped No. 4 Washington Trust Bank 15-6.

In the South, No. 5 Whitman County doubled No. 4 Pullman Posse 12-6 and No. 6 Kimmel Athletic bested No. 3 Lewis-Clark Bucks 13-12.

The winners open best-of-three series tonight against the 1 and 2 teams.

Aaron Meenach pitched a three-hitter for Hallmark and Chad Krebs, Derrick Wilson and Patrick Doyle led a 15-hit assault with three hits each. Kurt Hibbard drove in six runs for NW Athletics, five on two home runs. Brandon Stallings was 4 for 4 with five RBIs for WTB.

Kimmel, which rallied from an 8-0 deficit, won it when second baseman Shawn O’Brien made a diving stop on a ball up the middle in the bottom of the seventh with LC runners on first and third. Travis Wiles drove in four runs for Kimmel. Mitch Kriebel, who had two triples, and Sam Hall, two doubles, drove in two runs each and Andrew Gylling went 4 for 4 and scored three runs for Whitman. Daniel Tennant drove in three of Pullman’s runs.

Othello defeated Moses Lake 15-5 Monday at Central Valley to win the 13-year-old State Babe Ruth Tournament and advance to regionals Aug. 6 in Port Angeles, Wash.

Moses Lake scored a 4-3 semifinal win over Spokane South, which finished third.

Alek Webber led Spokane with five hits, two of them triples. Joel South had four hits and a 1-0 pitching record and Kyle Arnold was 2-0 for South.

Only home run of the tourney was by Shawn Powell of Spokane North.

Spokane’s South Side All-Stars finished second in the Mustang Sectional in Seattle on Sunday and will advance to regionals for 9-10-year-olds in Farmington, Utah, Wednesday through Saturday.

Youth sports day

Area youngsters ages 6-18 who wear prosthesis are invited to Comstock Park on Friday for the second annual Junior Sports Day sponsored by the Shriners Hospital for Children.

Activities will include amputee soccer, wheelchair tennis and basketball, golf, softball, volleyball and a climbing wall with hands-on experience. Paralympic gold medalists Dennis Oehler and Todd Schaffhauser will be on hand to challenge participants.

The day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends with lunch and awards at noon. There is no charge; participants just need to show up. However, they must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Softball

Registration is under way for the Spokane Softball Association’s adult fall leagues, which will begin Aug. 23.

The softball office at Franklin Park is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Men’s and women’s modified and slowpitch and coed slowpitch will be offered. Info: 483-4653.