A perfect ending

In any sport, University softball coach Jon Schuh said, speed kills.

And it was Shadle Park’s speed that killed any chance of a Titans upset in Monday’s Greater Spokane League season finale between the league’s top two teams.

The Highlanders (20-0) completed their second straight perfect league season for their third championship in a row with a 5-0 victory, built largely on that element of sport for which there’s little answer.

Leadoff and No. 2 hitters China Frost and Allie Burger each had two hits, sprinted into scoring position and scored four of Shadle’s runs. Batting third, Danielle Lynn singled in a pair of those runs. Each player reached base safely three times in the game.

“With our one-two-three hitters, if they get on base, they’re going to help us out,” Shadle Park coach George Lynn said. “I’m very confident when any one of them is at second base.”

All three not only can run, but also bat left-handed, which makes stopping them doubly difficult.

Final score notwithstanding, University (16-4) made an interesting game of it by minimizing damage with alert defense, even though Shadle had 10 hits and at least two runners on base in every inning.

Not all of Shadle’s base running aggressiveness worked. U-Hi turned an attempted hit-and-run into a right field to first base double play ending the first inning.

The Highlanders also ran themselves out of the fourth, including an unusual, third base-to-right field-to-first force following a popout with the runner at first on the run.

“We left a lot of runners on base,” said George Lynn. “When you go for the hit-and-run, what is the chance of hitting a line drive to right field behind the runner? But that’s the chance you take.”

And with Sam Skillingstad on the mound, five runs were plenty. She struck out 14, hurling a two-hit shutout, twice stranding Titans at third base.

Getting the early run, said Shadle’s coach, was critical.

Frost slapped a leadoff single that bounced over a drawn-in infield. She moved up on a wild pitch, was bunted to third and scored on Danielle Lynn’s hit to the left of diving shortstop Amanda Hickman.

In the second with the bases loaded, a botched pickoff attempt at first plated another run.

Burger beat out infield singles in the third and fifth innings, stole second and reached third base on a ground out. She then scored on singles by Lynn and Tressa Predisik.

Frost walked in the sixth, stole second and scored on a dropped fly ball in short left.

“Being first up, coach wants a lot of speed,” said Frost. “Me and Allie are basically a double threat on the base paths.”

Both coaches saw positives in the game. U-Hi made Shadle work for its runs, said George Lynn.

“They have quality coaches at U-Hi and they get the kids ready,” he said. “I always enjoy playing them.”

Schuh said playing in a pressure cooker game before the playoffs is a good thing.

“They’re a great team; better than they were last year,” he said. “It’s the best Shadle team since I’ve been around.”

A positive for U-Hi he said was that the Titans had base runners – eight with two of them forced out – and some good at-bats.

It was the second straight game at Shadle Park viewed by an overflow audience, and perhaps a preview of more to come in this week’s district tournament.

Elsewere, Mead (14-6) secured third seed in the 4A playoffs with a 4-1 win at North Central (16-4) despite managing just two hits. The Panthers will play Rogers (6-14) in Thursday’s District 8 opener at 3 p.m. at Whitworth. Alex Cey drove in two runs with a first-inning single. NC pitcher Kelcie Vallies struck out 11, but walked seven. … Central Valley (13-7) waltzed past host East Valley (6-14) 22-4. Mickenzie Alden hit for the cycle, including a lead-off home run and two-run triple in the nine-run third inning. She finished with six RBIs. The Bears play Gonzaga Prep in Thursday’s second loser-out district game at Whitworth. … The Bullpups (8-12) slipped past Lewis and Clark (1-19) 8-5 in eight innings at Hart Field. Tiger Kayla Horton sent the game into extra innings with a two-run, seventh-inning single. Ana Reyes‘ two-run single proved decisive for G-Prep in the eighth. Stacy Hamer had three hits. … Mt. Spokane’s (8-12) Delaney Zalud pitched a two-hitter and struck out nine in the Wildcats’ 9-0 win at Ferris (2-18). Kori Holcomb drove in four runs and Mindy Yorlano hit a two-run triple in the second inning.