University takes hold of top spot

It took Billy Moon an inning to find his groove. Once he did, University was well on its way to undisputed first place in Greater Spokane League baseball.

After allowing two game-tying first-inning runs Tuesday at Mead, the left-handed Titans junior pitched and batted the team to an 18-2 victory and a sweep of their two-game series that began last Friday with U-Hi’s 10-0 win.

He retired 13 of the next 14 batters before allowing a pair of meaningless hits in the bottom of the sixth inning after U-Hi had completed its offensive charge.

At the plate, Moon was 3 for 5, drove in four runs and scored three others.

“I think I got a little too hyped up,” said Moon of the shaky first inning. “It was just great to settle in and once we got to the middle innings I knew my team would pick me up.”

U-Hi took up where it left off last week, banging out 16 hits en route to a victory that got out of hand in the top of the sixth inning. The Titans (16-2) scored eight runs on seven hits. The Panthers (15-3), who had a rash of errors throughout, complicated things with more mistakes.

“We just kind of got it going and they couldn’t stop us,” said U-Hi coach Scott Sutherland. “It was one of those tidal wave deals.”

Ten of 13 Titans hit safely. Moon and Tyler Olson drove in the first five runs with back-to-back hits in each of the first two innings. U-Hi went up 2-0 before Mead came back to knot it. But the Panthers had only one other base runner until the last inning.

Moon’s two-run single to right followed by Olson’s run-scoring double in the second put the Titans up for good. They added three in the fourth, two in the fifth and then exploded in the sixth inning.

Jake Olsufka had a two-run hit, Moon got his final RBI, Michael Holmes his third run driven in of the game and a pair of pinch-hitters – Eric Hyndman and Sean Severson – chipped in with run-scoring hits.

“We were disciplined against (starting pitcher Chris) Allen and made him throw strikes,” said Sutherland. “We got him up in the pitch count really quick.”

The victory assures the Titans a top-two finish and spot in the double-elimination round of next week’s District 8 4A playoffs. The Panthers finish the regular season with two games against Ferris, needing one win to secure the second district bye.

In other games, Ferris’ Saxons (13-5), despite managing just three singles against Jeremy Carey, scored three times in the fourth inning and once in the sixth to rally past host Mt. Spokane (9-11) 4-3. Two of the runs came on passed balls. McKenzie Murphy‘s ground out scored the winning run. … Central Valley (10-8) scored in bunches and Rusty Shellhorn pitched a no-hitter to win 11-0 at Shadle Park (7-11). Shellhorn had three hits, two of them doubles, David Borgman doubled twice and Scott Simon homered. … Gonzaga Prep (10-8) stayed tied for fourth place, scoring twice in the sixth inning for a 4-2 win at East Valley (3-15). Bullpups pitching allowed one hit, a two-run sixth-inning single by pitcher A.J. Mills who scattered five hits and struck out 10. … North Central (6-12) scored six times to break a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning and beat visiting Rogers (7-11) 14-9. Sam Schaefer doubled and tripled to drive in four runs and score three. Taylor Hustad went 3 for 4, scored three runs, including on a three-run homer among five RBIs and tripled in a run in the sixth.

Softball

Led by Stacy Gray, visiting Mt. Spokane upset University 2-1 to make things interesting in the GSL. The loss by the Titans (13-4), with a season-ending game still to be played against Shadle Park, enabled Central Valley (13-5) to move back into the all-important second place picture for 4A regional hopefuls. Gray had two of the Wildcats’ (9-9) three hits. She tripled in the initial run in the third inning, doubled to lead off the sixth and scored on a wild throw for the winner. Lexi Obenchain had driven in U-Hi’s game-tying run half an inning earlier. Delaney Zalud pitched a two-hitter for the win. … CV routed visiting Gonzaga Prep (5-12) 22-2. Winning pitcher Alyssa Erickson was 4 for 5, doubled twice and drove in three runs. Stefani Siddoway (double, two RBIs), Jamie Belknap (double, two runs, two RBIs) and Chrystal Holt (two doubles, four runs) all had three hits. … Rogers (4-14) tied the game with two runs in the seventh and scored four in the eighth to win at East Valley (3-14) 8-5. Makena Dodd‘s second double and one by winning pitcher Mindy Tremblay each accounted for two runs in the eighth. Jennifer Knight was 3 for 4. … China Frost was 3 for 4 with four RBIs and a walk-off home run in the fifth in Shadle Park’s (17-0) 12-0 win over visiting Lewis and Clark. Sam Skillingstad also homered, allowed one hit and struck out 12. … Kelsie Vallies pitched a no-hitter and fanned 17 in North Central’s (14-3) 2-0 win at home against Ferris (0-17).