Mead, University advance to district semis

It was an eventful Thursday at Whitworth’s Marks Field for second baseman Tiffany Lookabill, whose Mead Panthers advanced to the District 8 4A softball semifinals with a 7-2 win over Gonzaga Prep.

Lookabill scored the game’s first run, had a great day on defense and in the process received a surprise invitation to Saturday’s school prom.

The game was the second of two on the first day of the tournament. Winners moved into today’s district semifinals and qualified for next week’s regional tournament.

The University Titans (16-6) beat Lewis and Clark (5-16) 11-1 in five innings during a rainy opener. The Titans play Central Valley (16-5) at 5:30 p.m. today at Whitworth, following the 3:30 game between Greater Spokane League champion Shadle Park (20-0) and Mead (14-7).

G-Prep and LC, both 6-15, were eliminated.

Lookabill was warming up a pitcher when she was called to home plate and the prom invitation was broadcast over the P.A. system.

“It’s a friend from California and my mom and my sister (Mead left fielder Breanna) flew him up and surprised me,” Lookabill said.

It culminated a plan that had been in the works and kept secret from her for a month.

Once in the game, Lookabill walked in the bottom of the second inning and ultimately scored on Rachel Yuen’s squibber that landed between third base, home plate and the pitcher’s mound. In the field she had four assists and two putouts.

“It was a great day,” she said.

The Panthers finally rewarded freshman pitcher Alisha Meade with a four-run fifth inning and 5-0 lead capped by Katie Kine’s three-run homer.

“I had not hit one out of here,” said Kine. “When it came off (the bat), it felt good.”

Mead added two more runs in the sixth following Bullpups catcher Molly Anderson’s two-run triple to the fence in right.

“First of all, James (Bullpups coach James Pizelo) has his team playing really well,” said Mead coach John Barrington. “We score four, they score two and we answer with our bats. It’s the best we’ve played for a couple of weeks.”

He said the key was the pitching of Meade, who hadn’t thrown for nearly two weeks because of shoulder tendinitis.

“It was a realy gutsy effort for her,” he said. “And getting Katie Kine, our No. 4 hitter, hitting the ball hard again – that home run obviously was key.”

U-Hi 11, LC 1: The top of the Titans’ order drove them to the semifinals and fourth meeting this year against their rivals from CV.

The first three batters combined to score six runs and drove in seven.

Leadoff hitter Riki Schiermeister was 3 for 3. She reached base four times, scored three runs and had two RBIs.

“I’ve noticed whenever I get on, it’s a great start for the whole team,” said Schiermeister. “I focus on putting the ball in play and not doing too much with it.”

Batting second, Alyssa Hawley also reached base four times, was 2 for 3, scored twice and drove in two runners.

Ali Warren slugged a two-run homer in U-Hi’s three-run first and finished with three RBIs.

“The girls came to play,” said U-Hi coach Jon Schuh. “It’s nice having Riki and Alyssa on base.”