Pitching Catapults Blue Devils To Senior League Title Series

Thu., July 20, 2000

By Mike Vlahovich mikev@spokesman.com (509) 927-2180

A series of nine league games in the final week of the Senior American Legion baseball season could have proved fatal to the Northwest Athletics Blue Devils, particularly after losing three of their first four.

But the Blue Devils won the three games that mattered most, over Spokane North Stars to overtake its fellow North Side team and seasonlong league leader.

The Blue Devils, primarily from North Central and Shadle Park, finished with a 13-7 record and earned a bye into Saturday’s final championship Legion playoff series at Gonzaga University to determine Spokane’s Senior state qualifier.

“We earned ourself a break,” said Blue Devils Coach Steve Hertz, of the 8-2, 6-3 and 13-2 victories. “I’m not sure whether sitting around or playing is best, I can answer that Sunday afternoon. But I’m not complaining.” Pitching made the difference. Patrick Donovan and Steve Hare went the distance during a doubleheader sweep on Saturday to overhaul the North Stars, who finished 12-8. The Wednesday before, Bryan Moffitt, John Petrie and Ben Sorcinelli combined for the win.

“They had a doubleheader they had to win,” said Hertz, “and I think that did them in.”

North Stars coach Jim Wasem agreed. He was forced to use his ace, Dan Thigpen, during the sweep of Pullman on Thursday that left him shorthanded during the weekend set.

“That’s exactly the case,” he said. “It was a bad situation for us. We’d been in first place most of the season. But we governed our own destiny.”

Hertz steers clear of statistics, preferring to get a feel for who’s playing well at a given time.

But he did point to the return of Spencer Bishop and continued sound offense from Jason Wederspahn and Jerin Harper for enabling his team to win four of its final five during the nine-game span.

While the Blue Devils need but two wins to qualify for state, the North Stars (mainly from Mead, Mt. Spokane and Rogers) must win six games in best-of-three series formats. They opened with a split against the Bandits.

“As I told the kids,” said Wasem, “that’s how we got to regionals (at Rogers High) last year. We got momentum, and they sat around. It could work to our advantage.”

Mike Kuck led the North Stars in hitting, Kurt Hibbard has hit with power late in the season and Jake Sampson has been consistent, said Wasem.

The addition of Thigpen, who began the year with the Spokane Heat, has helped. He’s won four games and batted .365.

“It’s just a godsend when you get a pitcher of his caliber,” said Wasem.

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