Spring sports regular season winding down

The spring sports season hurtles rapidly to its regular season conclusion in the next week.

All four Valley Greater Spokane League baseball teams are vying for respective 4A and 3A district playoff berths, University opening an important Thursday-Friday showdown two days ago with a 13-7 victory over rival Central Valley.

The Titans softball team was beaten in its first-place showdown with Shadle Park and faces all three Valley foes before the season ends. CV is a top-six 4A district team, East Valley and West Valley are in the 3A playoff picture.

Central Valley’s bid to win its first boys soccer GSL title fell short with a 3-1 loss to Mead on Wednesday, but East Valley is still in the running for its first championship.

Regular season ended for tennis with placing matches. CV and EV boys are in the league track championships as track has its placing meets next week. Golf will wrap up its match season Monday and Tuesday.

Baseball

West Valley (10-6, 9-5) was tied with fellow 3A school North Central for fourth place after beating Mead Thursday in the first of two games between the schools. On Tuesday the Eagles play the Indians in a key game, then finish the season against league-leader Mt. Spokane.

Last week WV split with CV (10-8, 8-8) and blanked Clarkston 1-0.

The Bears then faced a red-hot Titan team (8-7, 8-6) which upset Ferris 3-2 Tuesday then beat their rival 13-7 to make it six straight wins.

East Valley (9-8, 8-7) beat Mt. Spokane 1-0 to split their series and outlasted Gonzaga Prep 8-6. The Knights finish regular season next week against Rogers and Shadle Park.

Soccer

The Knights needed a win in Clarkston Friday to lock up their piece of a first league title. They then play Cheney Tuesday at Spokane Falls Community College for top seed into the 3A regional tournament.

CV got help in its bid for top seed into the 4A district next week, but lost 3-1 to surging Mead and likely finished fourth in league overall behind EV, Mt. Spokane and Ferris, third for playoff purposes.

West Valley is in the 3A playoff for a third regional spot and if University won on Friday, it is the sixth 4A district entrant.

Softball

The Titans (12-2) were beaten 7-0 by Shadle and need to win its final five games to finish second in league. They played EV on Friday, host WV Tuesday and end the season May 16 against CV.

The Bears (10-5) beat West Valley (4-11, 4-10) on Thursday to move back into a tie for fifth in league. WV had won two games last week to move back into playoff contention.

The Knights (8-8, 7-8) lost to North Central and ground for top 3A district seeding.

Track

East Valley (5-1) finished in a tie for the National Division title, losing to co-leader Mead, both advancing against unbeaten Mt. Spokane and CV (4-2) to next Thursday’s championship four-way Mt. Spokane.

The Bears finished in a three-way tie for second when Shadle Park beat Lewis and Clark but won tie-breaker criteria to advance.

West Valley (2-4) hosts a six-team meet, including University (2-4) for the ninth-through-14th league finishes.

EV’s girls (4-2) finished third in the National Division and hosts Wednesday’s fifth-through-eighth place meet that includes CV (2-4).

U-Hi (2-4) hosts the ninth-through 14th meet that includes WV (0-6).

Tennis

University’s girls (7-3) finished fourth in the GSL. Central Valley ended 5-5, East Valley 4-6 and West Valley 3-7. CV had a break-even season, best mark among boys teams.

Golf

University, Central Valley and East Valley remain fifth-through-seventh among GSL boys heading into next week’s league finales.

In most recent match, Bears Patrick Norton and Nick Grigsby and Titan Wes Millard were among the top 11 individuals.

Grigsby shot 73 for fifth place during the annual Inland Empire Tournament.

University and CV girls are fifth and sixth and East Valley has moved up since being unable to field a complete team the first match of the season.

Mandy Parsons finished as medalist and third in the most recent meets, with scores of 73 and 76. Haley Parsons was third and fourth with a pair of 77s.

CV’s Katie Sorenson and Nicole Barham, West Valley’s Ashley Wieber, EV’s Ashley Saffle and U-Hi’s Layne Brower all had top 15 efforts.

Barham finished third at the Post Falls Invitational with an 82.

Trailhead on track

It’s also catchup time for Trailhead Ladies Golf Club competition.

Over the past two weeks Joyce Jacobs shot 45 and Marcia Rowley 55 to win A flight medal play. Dee Elder had low net of 34.

Harriet Carbon at 53 and Bev Johnson at 55 were B flight winners, Johnson with a 27 net score.

C flight went to Sandi Hatcher with 65, and Grace Libby had low net 30. And no-handicap leades were Bobbie Parent with 54 and Ginny Bott with 63. Penny Brace had a chip-in.

Shea wins Liberty Cup

Monthly Liberty Cup competition for the Liberty Lake 18-Hole Women’s Golf Club was won by Jackie Shea with a net 74.

That left the rest of the field vying for fewest putts honors.

Patsy Lynn needed just 29 in A flight where Billie Etter took second with 31.

Louise Newtson and Connie Hatfield tied in B flight with 31.

Marie Nelson took 32 to win C flight, and Idell Jenicek had a low of 35 in D.

Great day at Painted Hills

Flight scores took a beating on a strong day of golf in the Painted Hills Ladies League.

Carol Blume won honors with her A flight 45, but B and C flight scores were solid as well, 53s respectively by Vivian Zaglow and Marian Decker.

Sharon Ehrhardt won D flight with 59, while Stacey Heaton shot a no-handicap 51.

Net leaders were Kathy Perry in A with 34, Marisa Mackin in B and Elaine Lukes in C with 35s and Nancy Hobbs in D with 33. Sue Walker and Karen Goyins had chip-ins.

Strauss adds to string

Liberty Lake Ladies 9-Hole Club golfer Karen Strauss led weekly competition once more.

She shot 49 in first flight where Audrey Vanos netted 32. Second flight winners were Sadie Rueckert with 60 and Carol Maycock with 41. Third flight winners were Lee King and Alice Vaughn.

Vanos and Mary Gehrman had chip-ins.

Hangman Valley action

Play of the day for the Hangman Valley Ladies 18-Hole Golf Club was the use of driver as the only wood and irons.

Diane Joss shot 87, and Kitty Duval netted 69.