Northeast A

Newport baseball got off to a hot start in its return to the NEA, thumping 2A Deer Park 16-3 in the season opener Tuesday. Nick Collison, second-team all-league in the GNL last year, homered twice to lead the Grizzlies. On the softball field, Kettle Falls returns to defend its State 1A title, won 4-3 over Onalaska. KF returns three first-team all-leaguers from that championship team, making them the favorite in the NEA and possibly the state. The other two state qualifiers, Colfax and Freeman, lost in the first round.