Shadle Park softball displays depth
The reasons why the Shadle Park Highlanders are undefeated a third of the way through the Greater Spokane League softball schedule seem obvious.
There’s sophomore pitcher Sam Skillingstad who, after Monday’s 11-1, five-inning win at Rogers, is 8-0 and has yielded no more than three hits in any game this season.
There’s a defense that’s made only six errors in six league games, including one in the first inning that led to Rogers’ lone unearned run.
There’s an offense, paced by second baseman Danielle Lynn (hitting .556) and shortstop Heather Jackson (.471), that’s averaging more than 13 runs in each GSL game.
And there’s Jenn Schwartz.
“She’s the best No. 9 hitter in the league,” is how coach George Lynn describes Shadle’s sophomore right fielder. There would be little argument after Monday’s matchup of the GSL leaders (Shadle, which came into the rainout makeup tied with U-Hi at 6-0) and the league’s third-place team (Rogers, who came in tied with North Central at 5-1).
Schwartz had three of the Highlanders’ eight hits, including a two-out, bases-loaded single in Shadle’s game-clinching seven-run fifth inning.
“Coach tells us every time we go to home plate, to try to hit the ball hard,” said Schwartz, who has hit ninth all season. “So that’s what I try to do every time.”
She succeeded twice. The one time she didn’t, her infield single still led to a fourth-inning run when she was caught in a planned rundown, allowing sophomore catcher Tressa Predisik to score from third base.
That gave the Highlanders (8-0 overall) a 4-1 lead. They had jumped ahead 3-0 before the Pirates got to the plate on a hit, two walks, a sacrifice fly and a suicide squeeze. But Rogers didn’t roll over against Skillingstad, who has yet to yield an earned run this year.
In the bottom of the first, Cari Landkammer dropped a one-out single into short right before moving to second on a two-out wild pitch. Athena Gracier then beat out a ground ball between third and short that China Frost corralled with a dive. When Frost’s throw got away, however, Landkammer raced home from third.
From there, though, the Pirates had just one base runner – Marion Muhammad, who was caught stealing by Predisik in the third.
•Inland Empire League softball: Jordanna Walker knocked a three-run homer in the fifth inning as Lake City pulled away late to grab a 10-1 softball win at Sandpoint (1-5). Kimberly Lynn struck out 12, walked one and scattered three hits in a complete game for the Timberwolves (4-0). Chantel Waide chipped in two hits, an RBI and scored a run for Lake City.
•Inland Empire League baseball: Cory Kreighbaum pitched a complete game and scored a run on a sixth-inning triple to lead Lake City to a 7-4 win at Sandpoint. Beck Roan hit a 3-run double in the ninth inning to seal the win for the Timberwolves (3-0). Zac Manor chipped in a double and 2 RBIs for the Bulldogs (3-3).