Mead Slows Down Central Valley

Other Greater Spokane League baseball teams failed to stay ahead of the approaching darkness Thursday.

Central Valley attempted unsuccessfully to keep up with Mead pitcher Dan Thigpen.

Thigpen struck out 11, walked none and allowed no earned runs as Mead opened GSL play with a 4-1 win at CV. Four other GSL openers were suspended by darkness and must be resumed, most likely on Saturday.

Thigpen, in a duel with hard-throwing Kris White, baffled the Bears with sliders and off-speed pitches.

“We heard that a lot of their hitters like to get on their front foot and see dead-red on that fastball,” Thigpen said. “We decided to pitch backward in the count, start them off with sliders and try to get them down in the count.”

Thigpen, a junior, struck out the side in the fourth and seventh innings. He had a strikeout in every inning except the second, when CV scored its run on Rob McGlothin’s single and an infield error.

Mead’s win marked a successful return for coach Dave Vaughn after a one-year respite.

“Danny’s not afraid to throw any of his pitches at any time in the count,” Vaughn said. “He has real poise and confidence, and he’s a real fighter on the mound.”

Both teams scored unearned runs for a 1-all tie after three innings.

White had a no-hitter through 3-2/3 innings when Matt Raab reached first on a nubber that died in the infield. CV’s dugout argued that Raab hit the ball off his foot.

Adam Johnson followed with a solid single to left field. Kurt Hibbard then dribbled a run-scoring single up the middle, and Johnson also scored when the ball went under the glove of Bears center fielder Tyson Fitterer.

Thigpen, with a 3-1 lead, allowed two more hits and struck out eight in the final four innings. White finished with eight strikeouts and five walks.

“It seemed like once I got on a roll everything was happening right, and everything kind of snowballed,” Thigpen said.

Thigpen, who didn’t have an at-bat last season, tacked on an insurance run in the fifth. CV handed an intentional walk to Panthers cleanup hitter Kent Hibbard with two out and Dan Stucky on second base. Thigpen’s ensuing single to right scored Stucky.

“CV’s going to win a lot of games this year, so we feel very fortunate,” Vaughn said.

Other GSL openers

Games were at various stages when darkness intervened.

At Hart Field, Shadle Park led Lewis and Clark 8-5 after six innings in LC coach Dexter Davis’ debut.

Defending league and district champion Ferris, playing at North Central, trailed 6-5 in the seventh. Ferris had runners on first and third base. The teams hope to resume at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Rogers, playing at home, led University 12-10 in the fifth. The teams also hope to resume on Saturday.

Gonzaga Prep led host Mt. Spokane 15-10. No makeup date was reported.

Softball

Nicki Meyer homered twice as three-time defending champion U-Hi opened GSL play with a 7-0 win at Rogers. Meyer had four RBIs to support Megan Owen, who threw a five-hitter.

Shanelle Test pitched a three-hitter, striking out eight, and CV opened with a 10-0 win over visiting Mead. CV’s Kristen Heuett and Carlie Ostrom combined for five RBIs and 5-for-7 hitting.

Jodi Hultquist pitched a four-hitter, and doubled and triple in three at-bats to lead Mt. Spokane to a 4-2 win over visiting G-Prep.

Justine Ruddell doubled twice and had four RBIs, and Marie Ruddell hit a three-run home run in the first as visiting Ferris outlasted NC 19-14.

Annie Boyd and Heather Clark added four RBIs apiece for Ferris. NC’s Nicole Zinnecker had three hits.

Shadle’s game against LC at Hart Field was suspended after seven innings because of darkness. The teams hope to resume the scoreless game on Monday.