Area teams prepare for postseason soccer

As May approaches, so do postseason tournaments for high school spring sports.

Soccer begins next week, and Central Valley boys positioned themselves for a state qualifying run on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over preseason favorite Ferris.

The Bears (7-2) scored quickly at the beginning of each half to put the visiting Saxons on their heels and added insurance midway through the final period.

Victory, coupled with University’s 1-0 loss to surging East Valley, left them a season-ending Friday win away from clinching second place in the Greater Spokane League and a date in next Friday’s District 8 4A championship against Mead.

The Knights (5-4), who finished their season against Shadle Park, won for the fifth straight match. U-Hi (7-2), lost its chance at a top-two league finish when EV’s Andrew Mastronardi sent a laser-like header past a crowd into the net off a long sideline free kick midway through the second half.

The Titans finished at Lewis and Clark and could place anywhere from third to fifth for district playoff purposes depending upon Friday’s results.

Trevor Delmedico scored four minutes into CV’s match against Ferris and Sam Busby tallied just after intermission for a 2-0 lead. The Saxons cut into it, but Joseph Guerrinha scored off Delmedico’s assist at the 60 minute mark for insurance.

East Valley is the GSL’s No. 1 3A regional seed and will host as long as it wins during the eight-team tournament that begins next Saturday and qualifies three teams to state.

•West Valley defeated Deer Park 3-1 with three second-half goals – two by sophomore Devin Packard – to continue atop its division of the Great Northern League and point toward next weekend’s playoffs.

Baseball teams jockey

GSL baseball teams continue to jockey for position as district playoffs approach. Top two finishers receive a bye into May 9 games at Gonzaga Prep, while the third-through-sixth begin May 7 in loser-out games at the home of the highest seed.

Second-place University is in the midst of a season-defining series against league-leader Mead. The Titans (14-2) hosted the Panthers (15-1) on Friday and travel to Mead Tuesday.

U-Hi swept Lewis and Clark 11-0 and 11-6, Billy Moon with a two-hit shutout in game one while going 3-for-5 with a double and home run at bat. In the second win Danny Jordan doubled twice among three hits; Michael Holmes and Craig Keeton had two hits each.

Central Valley (9-7) moved back into fourth place in league by sweeping third-place Ferris (11-5).

Rusty Shellhorn struck out 16 and David Borgman‘s alert base-running forced Saxon mistakes to produce the lone run in a 1-0 victory on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Bears held on for an 11-9 win. They scored all their runs in the first three innings, including seven in the second. KC Mack had three hits, Borgman two and Geoff Davis cracked a 3-run homer.

East Valley (3-13) finishes out its season against Gonzaga Prep and CV before playing in 3A sub-regional on May 6. The Knights lost twice to Shadle Park, A.J. Mills beaten in a 2-1 heartbreaker on Tuesday, and again 7-3 on Thursday.

•West Valley missed, at least temporarily, a chance to lock up the GNL championship with a doubleheader split Monday in Pullman. The Eagles (12-3 overall, 9-1 in league) played second-place Cheney in a decisive doubleheader on Friday. Andy Vennum pitched a 13-2 win over Pullman, striking out 13 and getting three hits in the opener. The Eagles scored seven times in the fifth to break it open.

The Greyhounds won 9-8 in the second game with two homers in a six-run second inning, then scoring three runs to rally in the bottom of the sixth.

Eagle Drew Clausen, who had a 2-run hit in the big inning of game one, was 4-for-5 in game two and scored three runs. District 2A play begins May 6.

Titans win showdown

University softball won its 11th straight game and broke a tie for second place with four games remaining in the GSL season. The Titans (13-3) defeated Mead (12-4) 4-2 on Thursday to gain an edge for an automatic 4A regional berth.

The top-two league finishers earn byes in the first round of the district tournament which begins May 8 and qualifies four to regional.

Central Valley (11-5) was at Mead on Friday with a chance to sweep the Panthers and move into third place among 4A schools. The Bears upset North Central 4-2 and scored 58 runs in winning three more.

They’ve scored in double figures eight times this season and had eight shutout wins. Chrystal Holt had seven hits in 16-0 and 18-2 wins over Rogers and Mt. Spokane.

•GNL second-place West Valley (9-6, 8-2) won seven of its last eight games entering Friday’s doubleheader against Cheney. The Eagles end the season next week against league-leader Colville. They swept Medical Lake and Deer Park most recently, winning the last three games by shutout. Rachel Meagley did the pitching and Chelsea Bowman was 5-for-6, scoring four times and drove in two runs against the Stags.

CV drops showdown

Central Valley’s bid for a repeat GSL boys track championship came down to pole vault at meet’s end on Thursday, but earlier outcomes helped determine the 75-70 loss to Mead.

The Bears were swept in the high hurdles and could not sneak out a win in three distance races, a team strength. Those events offset CV’s sprint and relays advantage on the track. In the field, Mead had the upper hand in the throwing events and high jump.

CV boys (6-1) split, winning over Lewis and Clark. The girls (4-2-1) lost to Mead but beat Lewis and Clark. University boys (2-5) lost to Gonzaga Prep and North Central; the girls (2-5) beat the Indians. East Valley boys (1-6) beat Ferris and lost to Mt. Spokane. The Knights girls (2-5) lost twice.

•West Valley boys and girls (both 3-0) continued unbeaten in GNL track with boys 79-66 and girls 76 2/3-73 1/3 wins over Cheney. Tim Pring in the sprints and Richard Keroack in the distances loomed large for the boys. Melissa Mauro timed 15.4 and 46.9 in the hurdles races and high jumped 5-4 in the girls meet.

Women’s golf

Liberty Lake 18 Hole Club – Billie Etter shot 95 in combined A and B flight medal play during weekly competition. Chrissie Tamura shot 103 to win C-D. Net winners were Debbie West with 73 in A-B and Coleen Wisenor with 72 in C-D.

Liberty Lake 9 Hole Club – Sadie Rueckert won first flight with the day’s best score of 55 and Lorraine Martin netted 43. In second flight, Nellie Auckerman shot 63 and Bette Devine netted 39. Third flight was won by Wilma Capaul at 72 and Emma Long with 49.