Loyns Delivers For Ferris ‘Arctic Express’ Cools Off Wildcats

Lynn Loyns has missed six of Ferris’ 17 Greater Spokane League baseball games, but his presence was obvious on Friday.

Loyns was 4 for 4 and pitched four scoreless innings in relief, guiding Ferris to a 9-3 win over visiting Mt. Spokane that clinched outright the Saxons’ second consecutive GSL title.

Loyns (4-0) struck out four, walked none and allowed one ball out of the infield while earning the win.

The senior baffled the Wildcats with a split-fingered fastball he hadn’t used much until this week in practice.

“We were concerned about his breaking ball; he needed to find another pitch,” said Saxons coach John Thacker. “He said he had a splitter… . I asked if he could throw it for strikes and he said yes.”

The pitch set up Loyns’ fastball, which Thacker refers to as the “Arctic Express.”

Loyns, from a town of 800 in Saskatchewan, played last winter for the Spokane Chiefs hockey team. He wasn’t eligible for Ferris’ first two games because of his extended hockey time. He missed more Saxons games to try out for Team Canada’s baseball team in Florida.

If he makes the team, it will be as a third baseman.

“I really like to hit, but I like to pitch, too,” Loyns said. “It doesn’t really matter to me.”

Loyns had three singles, two doubles, two runs and one run batted in Friday.

“He’s been an addition to the team that’s kind of pushed us over the edge,” Thacker said. “You can tell from his hockey that he’s been in competition before and knows what he has to do.”

Ferris (15-4 overall, 15-2 GSL) won its seventh title during Thacker’s 19-year reign. The Saxons receive an automatic berth to the May 22 Region IV 4A tournament at a Big Nine Conference site.

Ferris broke open a 3-all game with a six-run third inning. The Saxons sent 11 batters to the plate and benefited from three Wildcats errors. All third-inning runs against Mt. Spokane starter Jamie Ham were unearned.

Saxons cleanup hitter Aaron Sedler singled, doubled and had three RBIs. Josh Shelton added a two-run double and Brad Hodl led off the second with a home run that hit the old scoreboard in left field.

Cole Hockett and Casey Franklin had RBI doubles for the Wildcats (9-9, 9-8), whose drive toward the District 8 4A playoffs has been slowed by four consecutive losses.

With one game remaining for each team, the league’s playoff picture remains uncertain for berths 3-6 to district. But Central Valley (11-8, 10-7) clinched a spot by defeating Lewis and Clark.

Shadle Park and North Central won to join Mt. Spokane at 9-8, tied for fourth place. Shadle defeated Rogers to drop the Pirates (8-9) to seventh, one game behind the fourth-place congestion.

Eighth-place University, by lieu of its nine-inning win over second-place Mead (12-5), improved to 7-10.

Tuesday’s final round of regular-season games is Shadle at Mead; CV at U-Hi; LC at Rogers; NC at Mt. Spokane; and Ferris at Gonzaga Prep.

Rob McGlothin (4-2) struck out six and Justin Folkins hit a solo home run, his fifth, to lead CV’s 7-4 home win over LC (4-15, 4-13). CV had four hits during its five-run first.

Matt VonSteuben doubled in the 10th and scored on Nick Froscheiser’s single and NC rallied for an 8-6 win at Gonzaga Prep (2-17, 2-15).

Taylor Gibbons had a two-run homer to help Prep build a 5-3 lead. NC’s John Forness doubled twice and had two RBIs to support Steve Hare’s complete-game victory.

Tom Treppiedi’s sixth-inning single tied the game at 5, and Derek Bishop followed with an RBI double to rally Shadle Park past visiting Rogers 8-5.

Chet Womach had three RBIs, two on a home run, to back winner Ben Sorcinelli (3-3). Nick Scott of Rogers was 2 for 4.

Chris Barth had a perfect game until the fifth, and Mike Johnson singled home the winner with two out in the ninth as U-Hi edged visiting Mead 1-0.

U-Hi’s John Madsen singled in the 10th and was sacrificed to second. Barth struck out five and walked one to outduel Kent Hibbard, who struck out five.

Aaron Madison struck out six and didn’t allow a hit after the third inning, and Cheney (8-11, 3-6) defeated visiting Clarkston 7-6 in the first game of a Frontier League doubleheader.

Clarkston (11-9, 4-5) had seven hits during a seven-run ninth to win the second game 8-2.

Pat Laughlin had a two-run single and Tim Ridnour was 2 for 3 with two RBIs for Cheney in the opener.

Today’s season-ending doubleheader between league champion East Valley (6-1 FL) and West Valley (3-4) will determine seeding to the District 7 3A tournament.

Chris Schuessler pitched a one-hitter and Liberty (12-7) defeated Ritzville 5-3 in a Bi-County League playoff game to determine the league’s third and fourth seeds.

Chris Wojahn’s bases-clearing triple in the fourth provided Liberty’s go-ahead runs. Liberty is the No. 3 seed to the District 7 B tournament.

Dustin Lemaster had the lone hit for the Broncos (11-9). Ritzville plays Panorama No. 5 Republic on Monday for a district berth.

Ryan Rickard doubled twice, and he and Bill Hill had four RBIs apiece to lead Republic (14-7) over visiting St. Michael’s 12-8 in a Panorama League playoff game.

Cory Rickard tripled and earned the win. Chris Vogel homered for the Warriors (10-11), whose season ended.