Freeman softball finishes 21-6

Freeman’s softball team was hitting on all cylinders.

The Scotties were unbeaten in league and 13-1 overall heading into the Northeast A League showdown they split with eventual state champion Kettle Falls.

That’s when the season started to unravel.

Against the Bulldogs, outfielder Crystal Heigh lost a ball in the sun, and it hit her in the eye breaking orbital and nasal bones. In the same game Kelsey Pettibone pulled a quadriceps muscle running to first base.

It was the beginning of a litany of debilitating injuries that followed. Freeman was a shadow of itself, going 0-2 though qualifying for its sixth State 1A tournament in the past seven years.

“A lot of raw kids got a chance to play,” said Coach Scott Carolan. “God bless them; they competed as well as they could.”

Among the injured were all-league first baseman Melissa Triber (left gluteus), Katy Lamon (concussion in the state opener) and Jesica Jackson (knee).

But the costliest injury of all was the season-ending broken leg suffered by catcher Genna Pintor. She missed the final 10 games of Freeman’s season after batting .586 with a team high 11 doubles, 30 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

“She could have been the MVP of the league,” said Carolan.

Freeman finished the regular season at 18-2, and reached the district and regional finals that included a rain-postponed, eight-run eighth-inning 17-9 win over Brewster. Overall the Scotties finished the year with a 21-6 record.

Shortstop Jacklyn Riordan batted .500 with a team-leading 35 RBIs and cut her errors from 40 as a sophomore to 14 this year. Third-baseman Lamon hit .466 with 25 RBIs and Triber batted .438.

Six seniors, including Pintor and pitcher Erin Lundy (14-5, 2.42 ERA) graduate, leaving Carolan to wonder what might have happened this year at state had the injury bug not bit.

“It was bittersweet,” he said. “They (Kettle Falls) win state, we had played them well and I felt pretty good about what we accomplished. At state anything can happen, but I would have liked to have been healthy.”

But the core of the team is back, and the injuries allowed new faces, including sophomore catcher Kristen Nooner, to gain experience. Though Kettle Falls and Colfax, which went 2-2 at state, return the bulk of their teams, Carolan is confident he can develop young pitchers and chase another state trip next year.

“I’m sorry the way the season ended, but on the flip side it was probably one of my more satisfying years,” he said. “The outcome wasn’t good, but they had to dig deep and didn’t quit.”

Stolp ready to move up at Painted Hills

Painted Hills golfer Teresa Stolp has spent the spring establishing a handicap in the ladies club.

It won’t be difficult to figure which flight she’ll be in.

Stolp’s 43 was the best of the day, seven strokes lower than A flight winner Kim Tucker. The A golfers will have their work cut out for them beginning next week.

Also during the most recent gathering of the group, Nina Bartlett led B flight with 53, Ruth Younglund shot 56 in C flight, and Nancy Wendleburg had 62 in D.

Net winners were Karen Goyins with 39 in A flight, Lynn Kemmish with 36 in B, Kris McGoldrick and Kathy Walker tied with 35 in C and Sharon Earhardt had 31 in D.

Carol Chevalier chipped in on the 14th hole.

Liberty Cup play for 18-hole group

Monthly Liberty Cup competition for members of the Liberty Lake Ladies 18-Hole Golf Club was the order of the week.

Overall, Kathy Brown and Reiko Takamori tied with net 74.

Putting winners were Jill Grover, who took just 28 for 18 holes. Brown was second with 30 and Carol Schultz third with 32.

President’s Cup day at Trailhead

This week was the first round of President’s Cup competition for women of Trailhead Golf Club.

Best scores this week were the 45 gross of Betty Grassl from A flight, and best net came in C flight where Pat Woollett had 27.

Other leaders were Joyce Jacobs with low net 29 in A, Nel Oehrling with 51 gross and Genevra Barrett with 30 net in B, Sandi Hatcher with 61 gross in C and no-handicapper Bobbie Parent with 44.

There were also two chip-ins, by Dee Elder and Eileen Couper.

Liberty Lake 9-Hole group competes

Audry Vanos and Joyce Jacobs nearly golfed to a draw during weekly play among Liberty Lake Ladies 9-Hole golfers.

Vanos led first flight with low gross 53 and Jacobs shot 55 in second flight.

Third flight winner was Linda Barry, while Elaine Tai with 38, Lee King with 34 and Alice Vaughn with 39 were respective flight low net scorers.

Polly Soderquist had a chip-in on No. 11 and Jan Jensen did likewise on No. 13.