Prep baseball: NC 1-hits Shadle

The North Central baseball team has several speedsters, although Cory Swennumson readily admits he isn’t one of them.

Speed and Swennumson, however, combined Friday leading to the Indians’ 10-0 six-inning Greater Spokane League victory at Shadle Park.

The game followed a ceremony that recognized those involved in extensive improvements to the Highlanders’ Al K. Jackson Field, including new dugouts and refurbished bleachers.

On this night, Swennumson threw a one-hitter, had two singles and drove in a pair of runs. Indians (11-8) coach Scott Harmon put the game in motion, steals and sacrifices helping produce runs in bunches.

“All day long at school I was just thinking about the game and trying to concentrate on what I was doing in class. It was pretty tough, I’m not going to lie,” said Swennumson.

He faced just 21 batters – three over the minimum – and struck out six.

NC’s first burst came in the third inning of a scoreless game and hustle played a part. With runners at first and second, Ryan Richardson laid down a bunt and a head-first slide by Petero Faragke beat the throw to third, loading the bases.

An out later Swennumson laced a hard shot up the middle that ricocheted off Highlander second baseman Eric Hendricks and into short left field. When the dust had settled three runs were in. An infield grounder scored run number four.

NC added a run in the fourth on Faragke’s suicide squeeze. A pair of infield hits, including Sam Schaefer’s perfect bunt and two more sacrifices, one of them Faragke’s second squeeze, opened the floodgates for a five-run sixth. Among them were doubles by Scott Simchuk and Evan Witt.

“This is the fastest team I’ve been on,” said Swennumson. “I’m not one of them, but the other guys on the team can really move and that helps. Squeezes, hit-and-runs and steals keep us out of double plays.”

He also lavished praise on teammates’ defense.

“The guys on the field were very helpful for me on the mound,” he said.

In particular was a double play by third baseman Witt, who dove to his right to snare a hard grounder by Justin Dominguez. He got up, stepped on the bag, and fired to first.

And there were two superb back-to-the-infield catches, by Faragke at the center-field fence and Aaron Robinson at the fence in right.

Shadle Park coach Ron Brooks took the Highlanders (7-10) loss well.”Those things happen,” he said. “We’ve got to bounce back and see what we can do. We’ll respond.”

“Last-place Lewis and Clark (4-13) kept the 4A playoff race interesting with a 9-3 upset at Central Valley (8-9). Winning pitcher Drew Harper hit a three-run double in the second inning to stake the Tigers to an early lead. They played add-on with three successive two-run innings thereafter. Jamie McNeill hit two doubles and drove in two runs and Sage Poland went 2 for 3 and scored three times. … Mead (11-6) moved into a tie for second place in the GSL (and for first among 4A schools) with a 9-2 win at home against East Valley (5-12). Connor Moore went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. His two-run single helped the Panthers to a four-run fourth inning after they fell behind 2-1. Knight Tanner Hamilton was 3 for 3 with two doubles. … The Rogers (6-10) at Ferris (8-8) game was moved to today at 2 p.m.

“Bryan Peterson and Tommy Peterson each hit three-run homers as West Valley routed host Cheney 13-2 in the first game of a Great Northern League doubleheader. Bryan Peterson finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs. In game two, Anthony Christianson hit an RBI single in the sixth as the Blackhawks won 10-9. Justin Walker added a three-run double in Cheney’s seven-run fourth inning. Tommy Peterson hit a grand slam in the first and a solo shot in the fourth to lead the Eagles. … Medical Lake swept a doubleheader from host Colville. Tyler Owens went 2 for 4 with an RBI as the Cardinals won the opener 6-4. Zach Gover earned the win for Medical Lake after scattering seven hits in the complete game. In game two, the Cardinals scored five runs in the sixth and won 8-3. B.J. Palmer had two hits and an RBI to lead Medical Lake.