Tigers, Bears Scratch Out Wins, Advance
High school softball
Lewis and Clark High shortstop Sara Rhodes was given a second chance in softball’s second season.
After Rhodes’ errant throw to first allowed Mt. Spokane to score the first run in an extra-inning, District 8 4A tournament game Friday afternoon at Franklin Park, Rhodes contributed in a positive way in LC’s home half of the eighth inning.
Lewis and Clark picked up a 2-1 victory over the Wildcats, when, with one out and one run already in, leadoff hitter Rhodes got the game-winning RBI on a ground ball that scored Therese Crisp.
One batter earlier, Jenica Johnson produced the game-tying RBI when she scorched a single down the left-field line that scored Mary Gaddy.
The No. 3 Tigers (12-8) advanced to regionals with the victory. Senior pitcher Kaylene Fountain threw a four-hitter, striking out 11 and walking two. First-time qualifier No. 6 Mt. Spokane (12-8) was eliminated from the postseason, but not after a great effort by senior pitcher Jodi Hultquist, who also allowed only four hits. She struck out seven and walked two.
The second loser-out game between No. 4 Rogers and No. 5 Central Valley also came down to high-quality pitching and timely hitting. The biggest hit was a double by CV’s Amber Shields that scored two runs in the fifth inning as the Bears went on to beat the Pirates 3-0.
CV will play top-seeded University (16-4) Monday while Lewis and Clark meets No. 2 Shadle Park (15-3), both at 3:45 p.m. at Franklin Park, to decide seeding for the Greater Spokane League teams for next weekend’s Region IV 4A tournament.
In the opener Friday, Mt. Spokane blew a great chance of scoring its first run in the second inning. With two runners on and two outs, Katie Fuller smacked a hard single over the shortstop’s head. Shawna Powell came barreling around third, but stopped. The next batter struck out looking.
“It was one of those hard ones (to send her home on),” said Mt. Spokane coach Raeleen Epperson. “If you send her, and she would have been thrown out …”
From there, Fountain settled in until Mt. Spokane got its one unearned run in the first extra inning. The Wildcats’ Terah Summers began by beating out an infield dribbler. She scored when Powell hit a weak grounder to Rhodes with two outs. Rhodes’ throw sailed high.
Lewis and Clark began its half of the inning when Gaddy was hit by a pitch. Crisp bunted and was safe at first when second baseman Elina Gee dropped the ball at first. Gaddy moved to third on the play and was driven in by Johnson to tie the game at 1. Crisp scored to end the game.
The Rogers-Central Valley game marked the last game played by four-year Rogers starters pitcher Jamie Merrill and second baseman Barbara Draine.
Remarkably, it was Merrill’s 87th complete game as she finished by striking out eight, walking four and allowing six hits.
Rogers got its leadoff hitter on base in four innings, but could not squeeze out a run. The Pirates’ best chance was the second inning when Shronna Martin led off with a triple. But CV sophomore pitcher Natalie Shields got tough, getting the next two batters on a strikeout and a groundout. She followed with her only walk, but retired the side on another strikeout. Shields allowed six hits and struck out five. The Bears scored their first run in the fourth inning when Tara Heuett got her second hit of the game and scored on Marcy Nauert’s single. They added two more in the fifth.
Sara Olson-Axtell went 3 for 3 with two RBIs as Springdale defeated Selkirk 6-2 in the championship game of the Panorama League tournament at Kettle Falls… . Tawny Ramseyer went 3 for 4 and Rae Adolph had a two-run triple as Springdale defeated Republic 10-9 in the semifinals. The Chargers, who finished behind Selkirk during the league season, clinched a berth to the State B tournament for the fifth time in six years. Springdale last won the league tournament six years ago… . Selkirk, the No. 2 seed, and Reardan, the Bi-County League’s No. 2 seed, will host District 7 B openers Tuesday. Selkirk advanced to the title game with an 11-5 semifinal win over Northwest Christian. Mandy Link went 4 for 4 with two RBIs… . NWC defeated Inchelium 14-8 in the game for third and fourth seeds to district… . Rhonda Sattler homered as Republic defeated Curlew 23-7 for the Nos. 5 and 6 district seeds.
Kelli Jo Koppel and Amber Bequette both hit grand slams as Rosalia (9-10) eliminated Asotin 32-12 in the Whitman County League tournament at Colton. Suni Wood added four RBIs for Rosalia, which plays Colton (10-10) at 2:30 p.m. today in Garfield for a berth to the District 9 B tournament… . Colton ousted St. John-Endicott 13-3 in the day’s second game as Andrea Meyer homered. … Also at Garfield today, LaCrosse-Washtucna (14-6) plays Tekoa-Oakesdale (12-8) for the right to meet Garfield-Palouse (19-0) in the tournament championship game. All three teams have qualified for district.