Cannons Victorious At Tourney

The Spokane Valley Cannons didn’t let weather, the “Midnight Special” or a marathon tournament schedule stay them from their appointed rounds.

The Cannons won last weekend’s Kalispell Father’s Day baseball tournament with a perfect 5-0 record. Included was a rainy victory in a game that began at nearly 11 p.m. on Friday and went into the wee hours of Saturday morning. The team was back on the field at 9 a.m. Saturday for the first of three victories that day.

And won a heart-pounding 10-9 Sunday game over the host Kalispell Lakers for the team championship.

“We’re actually kind of playing hot,” said Cannons coach Travis Jewett, a Gonzaga University assistant. “It was a barn-burner in the champonship game.”

The Cannons had come back from a 4-run first-inning deficit to score six times in the second and four times more “an inning or two later,” said Jewett, to lead 10-4.

By the seventh, the Cannons were clinging to a 10-7 advantage with a Lakers runner on and one out.

“The next guy hits a pretty firm liner to left, but we catch it and I think, `All right, we’re going to win this,”’ said Jewett. “Then the next thing I know they string a couple hits together and I think a double was mixed in the deal.”

That made the score 10-8. Pitcher Kevin Reed beaned the next hitter to load the bases, and a double-play try came up short on a bang-bang play, leaving the Cannons’ lead at a run.

The next Kalispell batter cracked a Reed offering deep into the outfield.

“I figure it’s either out of the yard or off the fence and we lose,” said Jewett.

But centerfielder Randy Fitterer got a good jump on the ball and reached out to make the catch before hitting the fence to save the win.

“It was awesome,” said Jewett.

The Cannons had arrived in Kalispell expecting to play 6 and 9 p.m. games on Friday. Instead, the first game was postponed until Saturday morning, and the second game started late.

The Cannons won 8-6 over the Glacier Twins, rallying from a four-run deficit during a downpour.

“The kids didn’t hit the pillows until 2 a.m. at least, and I gave them a wake-up call at 6:30 in the morning,” said Jewett. “They did a good job responding to it.”

They pounded the Bitterroot Red Sox 14-2, got a pitching gem from Chad Mathison for a 7-1 win over Sandpoint, and belted Clackamas, Ore., 19-8.

Pitchers Jay Pearson, Will Murphy and Andrew Bower got the other wins, Bower needing an inning of relief.

“Other than that, they all threw complete games, which was a nice thing,” Jewett said.

He also lauded the offensive effort of the team, which scored 57 runs, particularly outfielder Matt Risley.

“He just killed it,” said Jewett. “He might have hit five home runs and hit double after double.”

Other Spokane entry, the Bandits, won one of five games, losing twice by a run in extra innings.

The highlight of the weekend was Eric Wiberg’s 4-hit shutout. He struck out seven to beat the Jesuit Crusaders from Oregon, 6-0.

Spokane Legion league roundup

Neither the Cannons, with players from Central Valley, East Valley and West Valley, nor the Bandits, with players from University, is currently in the Senior Legion title chase.

The Cannons, are fourth; with a 3-4 record, half a game behind the Pullman Patriots after splitting with them Monday night.

The Bandits lost their third extra-inning game in four days, to the Blue Devils 5-4, and dropped to 1-9.

Spokane Olympic Sports from University, at 4-2, is third in the South Division of the Junior League.

The team beat Medical Lake Monday behind Dave Morrison’s four hits and topped Spokane Athletic-West Valley 6-1 on Tuesday on the pitching of Eric McMurtrey and hitting of Mike Koentopp.

Also Tuesday, Spokane AthleticCentral Valley lost 4-0 to Cheney and East Valley lost 17-1 to South Division unbeaten Ferris.

After a hot start has WV lost five of its last six games. EV and CV, WV has one more loss than wins.

EV and Freeman are part of a four-team tie in the 16-U Colt League at 4-2 with University a game behind.

Hangman Captain’s Cup

Marie Nelson, with a net 68, won the June leg of Captain’s Cup among Hangman Valley Ladies Club golfers.

Concurrently, the ladies were part of a fewest-putts competition.

In A flight Carol Wagner took 32 and Junior Peper 33. B flight leader was Margaret Sims with 33. Three others, Dorothy Womack, Alice Hamilton and Nelson took 35.

C flight went to Louise Robeson with 35, and D flight winners were Pat Lundquist with 34, and Marion Pearson with 36.