Spring sports launch with mixed results

Results were mixed when Spokane Valley Greater Spokane League teams had their first meet on Thursday.

Teams, except for baseball, now take spring break off before hitting their respective sports hard beginning April 12 through the Memorial weekend.

Central Valley’s girls and East Valley’s boys opened 2-0 and their counterparts 1-1. All victories came respectively at the expense of West Valley and University whose teams were all 0-2 in the three-way meets.

The Knights boys beat Ferris and U-Hi 89-54 and 97-47. The Titans lost 77-64 to Ferris. CV’s girls won 76-70 and 86-55 over Lewis and Clark and WV.

CV boys lost a heartbreaker, 73-72 to the Tigers, and beat the Eagles 116-29. EV girls lost 89-61 to Ferris, but beat the Titans 96-54.

The Bear boys were a third-place away from a sweep despite dominating running events. Sean Coyle won the 800 and 1,600, where CV finished one-two, and Shon Davis won both hurdles, in 15.8 and 41.2.

But the team managed just four points in five of seven field events and it proved costly. C.E. Kaiser won shot put and discus for the bulk of CV’s field scoring.

CV’s girls won just three races, two of them by hurdler Lisa Haley, and two field events. But overall depth spelled the difference.

Distance runner Larsen Agee and freshmen sprinter Brittiny Almy and high jumper Alyssa Wold produced WV’s wins.

East Valley boys finished no worse than second in any of 17 boys events. The Knights got key track efforts by double-distance winner Nick Atwood and sprinter Anthony Laborin, and a 156-7 discus throw in the field by Tyler Jolley.

Kevin Martin in the two hurdles and two sprints carried a heavy load on the track and Wes Nolen won the javelin for U-Hi.

EV’s Eleaya Schuerch long jumped 16-7 ¾ and triple jumped 34-9 and McKenzie Carter led a one-two Knight discus finish.

Freshman Stevie Gildehaus won the 800 and 3,200, a difficult double, Dana McClendon put the shot 39-10 and Katie Hawkins pole-vaulted 10-feet to lead U-Hi girls.

Titan success continues

A year ago at this time University was 2-3 in Greater Spokane League baseball en route to a 2-6 start.

The Titans regrouped, winning eight in a row at one point, and reached the semifinals of the district playoffs.

Nine returning players continued where they left off, winning their first five Greater Spokane League games.

Included was Thursday’s 1-0 victory at Mt. Spokane (the two teams met again Friday) behind the pitching of veteran pitcher Nick Burger.

Borrowing from the mantra of a good businessman, Burger won with location, location, location.

“I had my curveball going and that’s what we used as my knockout pitch,” said Burger following the shutout. “If I have to come in (over the plate) when I’m down in the count, that’s when I’ll put the ball in there. Otherwise I try to nibble around the edges.”

He did so effectively, keeping the defending league champion Wildcats hitters off balance throughout the game. He retired 11 of the first 12 batters. Though allowing two runners on base in three different innings he got out of all three jams.

In the fifth it was marvelous defensive catches by third baseman Adam Smith, who reached over the fence for a foul ball catch, and shortstop Danny Jordan, who chased down a popup in short left field.

In the seventh, centerfielder Mike Conrad hauled in a deep fly ball to end the game.

“It was nerve wracking on that last shot there,” said Burger. “It was huge for us to get this victory.”

Jordan and fellow sophomore Tyler Olson produced the third-inning run with U-Hi’s only hits back-to-back, Olson’s an inning-opening double.

“We hit the ball hard, I’m not disappointed in the way we swung the bat,” said coach Don Ressa. “But we hit it right at them and you can’t do much about that. We figured it would be a good test for us.”

West Valley (3-0) won the first of its back-to-back games against East Valley, banging out a dozen hits in a 7-2 victory.

Winning pitcher Greg Bradley hit a home run and one of four Eagles doubles. Justin Marlow, Mike Hauschild, Mitch Phillips and Casey Sherrill also had two hits.

But it took a four-run sixth inning to break open the game.

Central Valley (3-2) lost to Mead 8-4 despite a 10-hit outburst led by Ryan Simmelink, three hits, two doubles, Eric Peck and Josh Soltan with two hits apiece.

Softball takes break

GSL softball teams finished the first phase of their season on Friday and now get a week off.

University is tied for first with Shadle Park — the two meet at U-Hi on April 25 — and both are unbeaten in league. Central Valley moved into fifth place.

Both West Valley and East Valley have a single win.

On Thursday the Titans beat the Knights 15-1 in five innings, four players with two or more hits, including Theresa Tveit who had three.

Mandy Mikelson hit a home run.

West Valley lost 6-3 at Cheney in a positional game between 3A teams.