Baseball teams post early wins as GSL season gets under way

No Spokane Valley baseball team was winless two days into the Greater Spokane League season.

University started 2-0, beating North Central 4-1 in eight innings and, on its field for only the second time, beating Shadle Park 10-4.

West Valley no-hit Rogers 4-0 in its lone league game and is 3-0 overall. East Valley, with a 7-6 win over Central Valley on Thursday, gave both teams 1-1 records.

The Titans success, said coach Don Ressa, is a product of experience.

“I think part of it is we’re an older team,” he said. “We have eight seniors in the mix. They’re older, wiser and did a great job in the weight room in the off-season.”

Two of them, Nick Burger and Adam Smith, pitched Tuesday and Thursday wins. Burger scattered five hits and allowed just a second inning run in seven innings of work. He singled in a run in the decisive eighth.

Smith threw four perfect innings, striking out 11 in six innings against Shadle. He also doubled-in a couple of runs in a three-run first inning and finished 2-for-2 with three runs scored.

“Burger had an excellent effort on opening day against what I think is a good NC team,” said Ressa. “Adam was running it up there pretty good, and he gets his breaking stuff in for strikes.”

Another key senior has been Connor Brooks, who played second base and had three hits on Tuesday, played third and doubled on Thursday and was scheduled to play shortstop on Friday.

“It’s huge to have a kid willing to do that,” said Ressa. “He exemplifies the attitude of the kids. We’re just humming along.”

West Valley’s one-two pitching punch of Greg Bradley and Alex Stanley combined for the shutout and a bases-loaded triple by Mitch Phillips staked the duo to a 3-0 first-inning lead which was plenty.

The Knights had lost their opener, 5-1 in Clarkston. However, they led early, 5-1, over the Bears, including a two-run homer by Jye Lanphere.

CV rallied for a 6-5 lead in the seventh on Dale Beach‘s double. In the bottom of the inning EV’s Mike Stewart doubled home the tying run and scored the winner on a balk. Lanphere and Stewart had two hits apiece.

The Bears earlier had routed Cheney 21-5 on just six hits. Zach Evans and Brad Johnson had two each, Johnson with a triple and three-run home run. Evans doubled, scored four times and drove in two more.

Tough win in soccer

Central Valley’s soccer team was forced to come from behind twice before winning 3-2 in a shootout over Cheney in Wednesday’s GSL soccer match between GSL unbeatens.

But it was nothing coach Brandon Deyarmin didn’t expect.

The Bears last year beat the Blackhawks 3-1, but said Deyarmin, “I knew they would be good. They had a lot of players back and last year we had a penalty kick and a lucky goal. It was a lot closer than the score depicted.”

CV, trailing eight minutes into the home match, knotted the score at the 25-minute mark when Josh Antles beat the defense and scored one-on-one against Cheney’s goalkeeper.

The goal was made possible by the quickness of Jesse Dunbar, whose nice run from the back and pass set Antles up.

Antles injured his knee and left 13 minutes into the second half, Deyarmin said he believed it wasn’t serious.

Cheney took the lead at the 66-minute mark, but two minutes later, Matt Bunch scored on a 25-yard free kick to tie once more.

“It was a great hit,” said Deyarmin. “The goalkeeper tried to grab it, and it went over his hands.”

Twenty-two scoreless minutes later CV made four penalty kicks to Cheney’s two in the shootout.

“I was pleased with our ability to keep clawing back,” said Deyarmin. “I was hoping for the win in overtime, but in the back of my mind I knew we have a great goalkeeper and guys who can shoot so I was comfortable going into the shootout.”

The Bears fell a point behind East Valley, tied for second with Mead. The Knights and Panthers played on Friday.

Titan softball in Seattle

University’s softball team today is part of the inaugural Fastpitch Festival at the University of Washington Husky Softball Stadium.

The Titans play W.F. West of Chehalis at 11 a.m. in the second of four games.

U-Hi has qualified for the 4A state tourney 10 years straight winning it in 2003. Last year the team placed fifth. W.F. West is a three-time 3A finalist and last year reached the state semifinals.

Last year’s 4A state finalists, Woodinville and Prairie, fourth-place Shadle Park and semifinalist Skyview, defending 3A champion Black Hills and 2004 3A runnerup Shorecrest will also participate.

The Titans, who played three games in succession this week, are 4-0 in the Greater Spokane League and averaging nine runs per game. They had 10-3 and 10-1 wins over Clarkston and Gonzaga Prep on Wednesday and Thursday.

Pitcher Mandy Mikelson had her third straight 3-hit game, including a triple, in Clarkston. Ashley Fargher had four hits in the two wins. And against Gonzaga Prep, Theresa Tveit and Michelle Wells each had three hits, the latter driving in three runs.

Central Valley (2-2) outlasted Cheney 10-7, Mickenzie Alden, Alyssa Erickson and Alexa Morales with two hits each. East Valley (1-2) and West Valley (1-2) each lost two-run decisions, the Knights 8-6 to Clarkston, the Eagles 6-4 to Ferris.

Tiffany Bittner had two hits, including a double, for EV. Haley Bauman and Camille Mackie each had two hits for WV, Mackie with a double.

Liberty Lake golf

Liberty Lake Women’s 18 Hole Golf Group will have a kick off meeting and breakfast on Tuesday at 9 a.m., at the Liberty Lake Club House. Golf will follow, weather permitting. Club dues are $55.