Blue Devils Face Cannons For State Berth
The worst fear of Northwest Athletic Blue Devils coach Steve Hertz has been realized.
His team must face the Spokane Valley Cannons in a best-of-three baseball playoff beginning today for a berth in the State Senior American Legion tournament in Centralia.
“The Cannons are the team I like,” said Hertz. “They’re well coached, play the game well and have good pitching. It’s going to be really fun this week.”
The Cannons won four games in two nights to advance against the regular season champions, 4 p.m. at Gonzaga University. The playoff continues Sunday at 4 and Monday, if necessary, at 5 p.m. All games are nine innings.
After being spanked 13-6 in their initial playoff game against Pullman, the Cannons swept a 6-4, 5-2 doubleheader from the Patriots on Wednesday and swept the Spokane North Stars 8-4 and 6-0 on Thursday.
Four different pitchers, Seth Gemar, Chad Mathison, Will Murphy and Jay Pearson turned in route-going performances.
Ten players had hits, led by Dave Marlow, Matt Risley and Chris Rodgers with seven apiece. Marlow hit a home run, triple and double, Risley two triples and a double and Rodgers three doubles among the Cannons’ 15 extra base hits.
Cannons players are made up of players from Central Valley, East Valley and West Valley high schools.
One-run games? No problem
Spokane Valley Firefighters were no strangers to one-run games during the Spokane Valley Baseball season.
The team was involved in six, losing four during the year.
But the law of averages finally favored the Evergreen Junior High team which won a pair of 6-5 decisions to join Norm’s Burger Barn in the double-elimination Giants League tournament semifinals.
Twice the Firefighters scored two runs in the bottom of the last inning to win. Brian Dagon’s sacrifice fly following stout pitching by Mike Ingham won the first game. Scott Smaltz hit a two-out, two-run homer to win the second.
Norm’s Burger Barn upset Autocraft 10-9 in eight innings and shocked regular season champion Skipper Bill’s 5-4 to face the Firefighters.
Cory Lynn sent the first game into extra innings with a two-out, two-strike single. Brian Danelo drove in four runs and Jesse Tuohy scored four, both players also had three hits. Tuohy stole home in the seventh for the winning run against Skipper Bill’s. Norm’s had built a 4-0 lead on pitcher Chad Bucher’s four innings.
They were among five one-run games in the first six tourney outings, and weren’t the only upsets, either.
Lowest-seed Grocery Outlet shocked the second-seeded Hornets 13-9 forcing a loser-out matchup between the league’s top two teams at East Valley yesterday.
Midgets: In the most formful tournament, highest seeds won eight of 10 games.
Top-rated 1st Choice Health Care won 10-0, pitcher Gerry Schumacher fanning eight. Todd Matsuda, Michael Szember and Justin Marlow doubled to drive in four runs and Ryan Campbell tripled in two.
On Tuesday they host Schuck’s at Trentwood, which won 13-9 as Nathan Swenson went 3-for-3 with a double and triple to drive in four runs. Chris Alldritt had two hits and two RBIs.
Sterling Self Storage won 3-2 and hosts Gibson’s Nursery, victor over Dr. George Velis, at Blake.
Dr. James Psomas, which won 3-2, hosts Grocery Outlet, a 13-7 winner, at University.
Norm’s Burger Barn won an upset over Perfection Tire, 18-13.
PeeWees: Two South Pines Elementary-area teams stunned high seeds in a pair major upsets.
South Pines II beat second-seeded Spokane Recycling 5-3, for its second win of the tournament.
Tom’s Barber Shop used the big inning during its two wins, outlasting fourth-seeded Jim Frazier Pro Shop 15-13 to continue on.
The two teams are among eight remaining who play Monday games.
Tom’s trailed 10-3 with two outs in the fourth inning before scoring 12 times. Big blows were two-run singles by Ethan Horton and Willy Murphy and a bases-loaded triple by Brock Crawford. Murphy also turned in an unassisted double play at second base the next inning to quell a rally.
Two days earlier the team broke a 1-1 tie with nine fifth-inning runs against White Elephant, after pitcher Derek Weiler shut out Tom’s for three nine-strikeout innings.
Tom’s plays fifth-seed Trentwood II, an 18-4 winner in its opener. South Pines II plays 10th-seed Valley Kiwanis which upset seventh-seed Talking Rain 13-7.
Banner Fuel won 11-9 to advance against first-place Yogi Bear Campground, a 12-0 winner. Number three Olympic Sports, which won 19-0, plays number six National Color Graphics which won 3-0.
Two outings for Liberty Lake 9’s
Liberty Lake Ladies 9-Hole Golf Club conducted a pair of outings.
Two weeks ago Marian Edwards shot 52 in A flight, Patsy Angelo shot 57 in B, Eveline Edwards in C, and Emma Long in D both shot 62.
Edwards had chip-ins on the first and fourth holes.
Net winners were Lorriene Martin with 32 in A flight, Shirley Shoenberger with 37 in B, Min Gutterud with 36 in C, and Brenda Pottratz with 35 in D.
There were two eighth-hole chip-ins, by Peggy Nadvornick and Sybill Sturgill.
This week the leaders included Edwards with 60 and Pottratz with a low-gross 66 in their flights.
Elaine Tai shot 51 in A, and Joyce Harris had 58 in B. Net winners A through D included Nancy Lampe and Eileen Ackerman with 38s, Nancy Hanson with 34, and Pam Yewter with 42 in D. A pair of Audreys, Knuttel and Vanos had chip-ins.
Hamilton gets challenge
Painted Hills Ladies Club A flight golfer Alice Hamilton led the charge, but she received a challenge from C-flight golfer Lynn Knight during weekly medal play.
Knight turned in an fine low gross 47, including a birdie on the fifth hole in her flight. Hamilton shot 44.
Susan Crosby shot 53 in B flight, Debbie Culbertson had 54 in D and Carolyn Sell shot 51 in the no-handicap division.
Net winners A-D were Karin Goyins with 32, Connie Goodman with 32, Janet Tarbutton with 29 and Marilyn Patterson with 27.
Goodman, with a chip-in on three, and Shawna Ferguson also birdied. Connie Hatfield, Inge Klep, Elaine Lukes, Sue Matsui and Eva Dauenhauer all had chip-ins.
President’s Cup, second round
Jean Hatcher leads the field after the second round of the Liberty Lake 18-Hole Ladies Club President’s Cup.
Hatcher had a two-round net total of 141 with a third round remaining. Best two of three scores determine the overall winner.
Penne Parsons in first, Caroline Arnot in second and Reiko Takamori in fourth flights are at 142. Third flight leader is Mabel Watkins with 151.
Fewest putts leader after two rounds is Dorothy Womach with 57.
Medal play at Valley View
The heat kept down the turnout for Valley View Ladies Club golfers.
But it didn’t prevent Betty Grassl from a low gross 49 during A flight competition. Joanne Guell and Deanna Hauser tied for net at 34.
In B flight Patsy Angelo shot 54 and Kathy Bymers netted 31. C flight went to Angie Schauer and Nola Russel with 65. Donna Leibergood had low net.
Hangman Captain’s Cup
Dorothy Womach won the third leg of the Hangman Valley Ladies Club Captain’s Cup with a net 67 and only 26 putts. She also had low gross in B flight with 92.
A flight winners were Fran Nord and Jackie Shea with low gross 91 and Kathy Schnider with net 74.
Sue Henley netted 74 in B. Ellen Boudewyns shot 106 and Jan Pownell netted 74 in C. Sue Crosby shot 112 in D and Delores Bridwell netted 74.