Farden, Holcomb help Spokane wring Bells

Luke Farden pitched a complete-game six-hitter and Darin Holcomb hit a three-run homer Thursday as the Spokane RiverHawks defeated the Bellingham Bells 7-4 to open a three-game series at Avista Stadium.

Spokane (9-4) maintained first place in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League. The Bells are 5-8.

Farden (2-1) struck out six and walked two. Holcomb helped give Farden a 4-0 cushion in the third with his third homer of the season.

Chris Bozo doubled twice, and also scored during Spokane’s three-run seventh. Brent Mertens and Nick Froman had RBI doubles in the seventh.

The teams play two games today, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Prep sports

Shadle Park pitcher Sam Skillingstad and boys soccer players Joe Hatcher from Ferris and Ben Funkhouser from East Valley were Greater Spokane League athletes named to Washington All-State spring teams.

They were among area athletes honored by a panel of sportswriters from Washington newspapers and coordinated by Tri-City Herald staff writer Rene Ferran.

Skillingstad pitched the Highlanders to second place in the State 4A softball tournament. She was 27-3 for the year, struck out 423 batters in 191 innings and had a 0.50 earned run average.

Hatcher, a 4A first-team defender, was the GSL defensive MVP and Funkhouser, a 3A first-team midfielder, the offensive MVP for league-champion EV.

Pullman infielder Justin Cooper (2A), and infielder Nick Ashley and outfielder Cameron Stevenson of State B runner-up Lind-Ritzville were first-team selections. L-R’s Jason Aldrich was voted Coach of the Year.

Shana Largent of Colfax (1A) and Chelsi Pakootas of Inchelium (B) made first-team infield in softball. Pullman’s Ming Fey Wang was first team in 2A soccer.

Many area athletes were second-team and honorable mention picks. A list is in today’s Scoreboard page.