Area roundup : U-Hi grabs top seed

Craig Keeton went 3 for 3 with three runs batted in and two runs scored and Jacob Olfufka scattered five hits in a complete-game effort to lead University to a 14-3 victory over Newport in the Junior American Legion league championship game Friday at Whitworth College.

The victory earns U-Hi (34-3) a No. 1 seed in the state tournament, which kicks off Thursday. Newport is the second seed and Freeman is the third seed. The tournament will be played at U-Hi and Central Valley.

Cory Benton had two hits, including a double, and scored twice for U-Hi. The champs took control of the game from the outset – scoring eight runs in the top of the first inning.

“Jim Murphy doubled and scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch as the Corvallis Knights (22-13) slipped past the Spokane RiverHawks 3-1 in West Coast Collegiate Baseball League play in Corvallis, Ore.

Brian Yardley and Brian Embery hit back-to-back doubles in the top of the fifth inning to produce the only run for the RiverHawks (9-26), who lost their ninth consecutive game.

A.J. Proszek (2-1) was saddled with the loss despite allowing just one earned run in his six innings of work. He struck out four.

Women’s basketball

Krystal Thomas notched her second straight double-double and former U-Hi star Angie Bjorklund added four points, two rebounds and an assist to lead Team USA to a 101-60 rout over China at the Women’s U-19 Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Thomas, an incoming freshman at Duke, had 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Bjorklund, who is bound for Tennessee, hit 1 of 3 shots from the floor and 2 of 2 free throws in 19 minutes of play.

Maya Moore finished with 12 points, Jantel Lavender added 11 points and Italee Lucas and Kayla Pedersen each scored 10 for the Americans.

Team USA grabbed 25 offensive rebounds.