Stars Elite Blue run winning streak to 21
The Spokane Stars Elite Blue took a break this week following a whirlwind 11 straight days and 21 basketball wins, resting legs for the Midsummer Nights Madness Western U.S. Championships that begin next Tuesday in Tempe, Ariz.
The Stars have experienced an unprecedented record of success, losing in the semifinals in Tempe earlier this year at the Arizona Elite Tournament and going unbeaten since.
They were 6-0 in Yakima and again at the End of the Trail Tournament in Oregon, ending a 184-game winning streak by the California Swish in the process. Last week they won the MSNM U.S. National Championships in Seattle and last weekend’s NCAA-sanctioned Warehouse Summer Classic in Spokane.
It is, said Ron Adams, among the best teams he’s coached since forming the Stars program with the late Jack Blair 26 years ago.
“We haven’t done anything different with this team than all the others, but the team chemistry is the best we’ve ever had,” Adams said. “The kids really enjoy playing together.”
During the U.S. National championships, the Stars average margin of victory was just over 32 points per game, with only one truly close contest, 48-42 over the Yakima Elite after trailing in the first half by 13 points, and two other wins, in the quarter- and semi-finals, by 16 and 15 points.
Jami Bjorklund led scoring with a 14.1 average over the entire nine games. She upped it to 15.4 during the five-game tourney portion.
Angie Bjorklund, who, Adams said, coaches are touting as the top sophomore in the country, scored 20 in the title game and averaged 14.1 in the Warehouse tourney.
Angela Hartill averaged 10 rebounds per game in the two tourneys combined. At the Warehouse Summer Classic, the Stars rolled over their foes by an average of 40.3 points, though they played one game Saturday without the Bjorklunds who were at their grandmother’s funeral.
Storm storm to title
The Spokane Storm, a 16-U softball team made up mainly of Greater Spokane League players, allowed just six runs during a six-game sweep of the Glacier Emerald Invitational tournament, July 10-11 in Kalispell, Mont.
They beat Conrad Wave 10-0, Electric City Heat of Great Falls 9-1 and host Glacier Emeralds 12-2 in Saturday pool play.
During the 11-team, single-elimination tournament, the Storm beat Flathead Monsters 6-0, Polson Rain 3-2 and the Emeralds again, 9-1, in the title game.
Kate Shink from Mt. Spokane and Kala Allred from Timberlake High in Spirit Lake both went 3-0 and had a combined 0.57 earned run average.
Chantal Hughes-Gardner, from Mead, led hitting with a .571 average. Three others, Katie Antich from Gonzaga Prep, Shink and Angel Urann, from Mt. Spokane, hit .500.
Playing a combined Spokane Girls Fastpitch schedule that included four games against 18-U co-champions Spokane Impact and Spokane Illusion, the Storm finished in a three-way tie for second, four games behind the 10-2 Valley Blast in the 16-U division. Impact and Illusion were both 11-1 in their division, splitting during the season.
The Spokane Crash finished 11-1 to win the 14-U league; the Valley Villains No. 1 were 10-2 to win 12-U and the Crash were 10-1 with one game remaining, but had clinched the 10-U division of the league.
• The Coeur d’Alene Crush 10-U girl’s softball team won the Idaho State Fastpitch Tournament in Lewiston on Sunday with a 3-1 overall record, defeating the Boise Blast 3-2 in the championship game. They qualified for the Regional Tournament in Tacoma.
The team members are Caelyn Orlandi, Jessica Ball, Rashell Shaffer, Katie Rowe, Kory Kritz, Amy Palmer, Chelsey Rassmussen, Dakota Ray, Randi Spencer, Nikki Ragsdale, Elli Tindall, Kyeli Parker, Kylie Curtis and coaches Brian and Kathy Stranger.
•The Spokane Extreme took second place in the Fourth of July Shootout Tournament. They scored 38 runs in seven games and gave up only four, two of which were in the championship game where they lost 2-1 to the Missoula Lady Mavericks.
Melissa Rice posted a 4-0 record on the mound, striking out 38, allowing seven hits and four walks in 23 innings.
Team members include Christine Schollenberger, Melissa Triber, Aimee Fitting, Katie Stark, Joanna Gonzalez, Shelli Dodge, Whitney Kaiser, Julie Andrews, Rice, Rachelle Solom, Michelle Tully, Charlotte Psick and coaches Del Triber, Gerald Tully and Mark Rice.
Golf
Eric Hastings of Mead qualified for the United States Amateur National Golf Championship to be played Aug. 16-22 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
He qualified by taking medalist honors in sectional qualifying at Emerald Valley Golf Course in Creswell, Ore., Monday, with rounds of 73 and 72 for a total of 145.
Wrestling
Nine months of hard work for some area wrestlers paid off on a state, regional and national level.
At the Washington State Championships, Michael Baumgarden, Bryan Baumgarden, Kyle Johnson, Dustin Baldwin and Reid Chivers of Nine Mile Falls qualified for Regionals. They were held in Winnemucca, Nev., at the end of June. Baldwin and Chivers moved on to Minenominie, Wis., for the National Championships June 29 through July 3. Chivers, competing at 165 lbs., finished sixth in Greco and Baldwin, 185 lbs., placed second in Freestyle and was National Champion in Greco.
Johnson, Baldwin and Chivers represented Washington State in Indiana early in June. It was there, out of 36 states represented, that Washington State placed fifth in Greco and third in freestyle.
Legion baseball
The Patriots won twice Thursday, beating the Bandits 11-9 and 4-3. In game one, with the score 9-9, Aaron Kromm hit a routine double-play ball that bounced over the second baseman’s head. Patriots’ Jameson Maj and Kromm eventually scored to win 11-9. In game 2, Patriots’ Greg Biagi scored on a Rick Templeton double and scored again on a seventh inning sacrifice fly from Hunter Simpson.
At the Oregon Baseball Classic the Patriots scored four in the fifth when Templeton hit a 3-run triple and went on to beat the Washington Wave 11-9 in the tournament opener. A two-run double from Justin Krieger and a Wave error tied the score 9-9 in the sixth. The Patriots won in the seventh on Maj and Kromm singles and pitching errors. In the final round of pool play the Patriots finished 4-0 after beating the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen 15-7. Biagi paced the Patriots with four hits, including two doubles and four runs scored. Templeton, Simpson and Kyle Hinrichs each had three hits and Maj hit a three-run homerun. Jeff Harris, Dan Lau, Dave Holland and K.C. McDonald had two hits for Coeur d’Alene.
•Going, going, gone: This week’s home runs included Chris Bozo, Bandits (two-run); Maj 3, Patriots (two solo shots, three-run); Chris Kern 2, Blue Devils (three-run, grand slam); Tyler Hauschild, Cannons (solo); Gary Jones, Cannons (two-run); and Zack Servatius, Northstars (two-run).
•Highlight of the Week: In a 12-10 loss to the Northstars, Blue Devils’ Kern was 3-3 with four RBIs, a double and a grand slam homerun.
– Staff writer Mike Vlahovich contributed to this report.