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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Summit, McDonald’s SVBL champs

Mike Vlahovich

Teams from Summit and Liberty Lake schools captured respective championships of the season-ending Spokane Valley Baseball League tournaments.

Summit defeated Midget League upstart Spokane Recycling 7-5 and McDonald’s (Liberty Lake) handed Spokane Athletic Supply (Pasadena Park) its only loss of the season, 6-4 in the Pee Wee final.

Midget – Three straight fifth-inning base hits by Summit, on the heels of Skyview centerfielder Andrew Allen’s fine running catch that opened the inning, settled the title for 11- and 12-year-olds.

Top-seeded Summit (12-3) led just 3-2 when Colin Gessler stroked a one-out single that was followed by run-scoring base hits by Jackson Axtell and Braden Page. All three scored in the inning, as did Ethan Arpin, who singled and scored from first on a pickoff attempt.

That staked the champs to a five-run lead. They then weathered a comeback by Spokane Recycling to win by two runs. Twice during the game, Spokane Recycling runners were thrown out at home trying to score from third base on passed balls.

Axtell was 4-for-4 and pitched the first three innings for the win, striking out six after the first two Skyview batters reached base and scored in the bottom of the first inning. Gessler pitched the final three frames and also doubled and scored.

Skyview (8-7) had entered the tournament as seventh seed before winning its way to the finals over teams that had shared first during regular season. Pitcher and third baseman Noah Sherwood-Rich stood out in the final. He had two hits, was flawless on the field and allowed just one earned run while taking the loss.

Summit beat Chester 9-5 on Justin Coppernoll’s 2-for-2, two RBI game and, during a 19-3 semifinal win over Autocraft, Braden Page and Axtell drove in three runs each.

Pee Wee – Baseball’s bane, bases on balls, bit previously unbeaten Spokane Athletic Supply (Pasadena Park) in the season finale for 9- and 10-year olds. Four of seven free passes came around to score for champion McDonald’s (13-2), the difference in the game.

Spokane Athletic (14-1) jumped ahead on pitcher/catcher Michael Chan’s first-inning RBI triple. He scored on a wild pitch and would finish 2-for-2, scoring three of his team’s four runs and making a fine diving catch off the grass on a pop foul behind home plate.

McDonald’s rallied for a 4-2 lead by scoring three runs in the third on walks and Brandon Carlson’s base hit. Carlson finished 2-for-3.

Spokane Athletic cut the lead to a single run on Ross Vermillion’s base hit, but McDonald’s again parlayed walks, turning a ground out and error into two insurance scores in the fifth. Ethan Frazier scored his second run following a free pass.

The Liberty Lake team thwarted a potential rally with a perfect left field-to-shortstop-to-third base cutoff play, gunning out Daniel Wee at third after he tried to stretch a double into a triple.

McDonald’s had opened the tournament with a 35-5 romp past Leo’s Photography (Sunrise) breaking open a close game with an 11-run third inning and adding 17 more runs in the fourth. Next, the team whipped Valley Electric (McDonald) 23-0.

Brady Sanders was 9-for-11 in those two wins, hitting for the cycle in the semifinal. Sammy Anderson was 9-for-10, doubled twice and scored 10 runs.

Spokane Athletic Supply took a more conservative approach to the finals, beating Hurliman Heating (Ponderosa) 4-1 – Chan with nine strikeouts – and escaping Sterling Self Storage (Adams) 7-6.

In that win, Chan and Austin Stevens combined for 16 strikeouts and won on Chan’s walk-off double. Gunnar Cebriak was 3-4 with a double and home run, and Vermillion hit a double and triple.

Baseball scores

Midget – Intermountain Fabricators (South Pines) 7, Grocery Outlet (Sunrise) 3. Spokane Recycling (Skyview) 4, Brad DeCounter DDS (Pasadena Park) 2. Autocraft (Greenacres) 10, River City Pizza (Otis Orchards) 6. Summit 9, Cascade Controls (Chester) 5. Spokane Recycling d. Intermountain Fabricators. Summit 19, Autocraft 3.

Championship – Summit 7, Spokane Recycling 5.

Pee Wee – Valley Electric (McDonald) 4, Leo’s Photography (Sunrise) 3. McDonald’s 35, Banner Fuel (Skyview) 5. Sterling Self Storage (Adams) 5, George Velis DDS (Chester) 3. Spokane Athletic Supply (Pasadena Park) 4, Hurliman Heating (Ponderosa) 1. McDonald’s 23, Valley Electric 0. Spokane Athletic Supply 7, Sterling Self Storage 6.

Championship – McDonald’s 6, Spokane Athletic Supply 4.

Women’s golf

Painted Hills – Second round of the President’s Cup was conducted on July 28. Jean Allemand shot 45 gross and Arlene Koth 35 netted in A flight. Debbie Paullin shot 50 and Judee Fowler netted 32 in B flight. Margaret Tirk shot 52 and Jean Jones netted 35, including a chip-in on the seventh hole, in C flight. Carol Chevalier shot 62 and Ina Gruenwald netted 41 in D. Three players, Paullin, Karen Goyins and Gloria Knauss tied for fewest putts with 14. Joyce Jacobs and Lynn Vierling recorded birdies.

Liberty Lake 9-Hole Sadie Rueckert shot 53 during weekly gathering of the ladies club. She led first flight, while Nancy Lampe shot 63 in second. Mary Ann Grannell had first flight low net of 36. Kristin Williams, Kathy Camyn and Mary Ann Barham tied with 41 in second flight.

Trailhead at Liberty Lake Marcia Rowley led weekly play with a low gross 46 score in A flight, while Sandi Hatcher and Mary Anne Evans tied with 31 for net. B flight was won by Gail Peters with 54. There was a three-way tie for net among Bev Johnson, Deanna Hauser and Shirley Rodman, all with 35.