Top GNL teams sweep

It continues to be a four-horse race in Great Northern League baseball, where the contenders all swept doubleheaders Saturday.

First-place Cheney has a half-game lead over Clarkston and Pullman, while West Valley sits in fourth place 11/2 games behind. All four teams have just one loss.

Zack Letsch and Drew Ableman banged out three hits apiece in Cheney’s 13-hit attack and the Blackhawks cruised to a 14-4 victory in the first game of a doubleheader at Colville. Rick Heuschkel (2-0) survived a rocky first inning – surrendering four runs – and Cheney (8-1, 5-1) used a five-run sixth inning to rally for a 9-5 win over the Indians (5-3, 3-3).

Elsewhere in the GNL: Clarkston (6-1, 4-1) tallied 27 hits on the day, while holding host Riverside (1-7, 0-6) to five en route to 16-2 and 11-0 five-inning victories. … Brett Druffel was more than enough for Pullman (5-1, 4-1) to post a pair of wins over host Deer Park (2-5, 1-5). Druffel went 4 for 4 and drove in a pair of runs to lead the Greyhounds to a 9-3 win. Cody Weber led off the game with a home run and finished with three hits. In the second game, Druffel went 3 for 4 with four RBIs to help Pullman roll to a 15-3 five-inning victory. Alex Wolf went 5 for 7 with three RBIs over two games for Deer Park. … Kyle Peckham belted a solo home run in both games of a doubleheader and the West Valley Eagles (4-4, 2-1) romped to a 14-1 five-inning win and an 11-1 six-inning win over host Medical Lake (2-7, 1-2).

•Greater Spokane League: Shadle Park’s game at Gonzaga Prep was rained out and will be made up Monday at 4 p.m.

Softball

Great Northern League: The Colville Indians and Clarkston Bantams each swept doubleheaders to remain unbeaten in league. Alison Holst struck out 11 and allowed just two hits to lead visiting Colville (8-1, 4-0) to an 11-1 five-inning victory over the Cheney Blackhawks (1-6, 0-4) in the first game. In the second game, Mikayla Carr allowed three hits and struck out 12 and picked up a single and a triple at the plate to lead Cheney to a 7-0 complete-game win.

Elsewhere in the GNL: the Clarkston Bantams (5-1, 4-0) hit the road and ran roughshod over the Riverside Rams (0-6, 0-4) by scores of 31-5 and 29-7. Emma Sandaine homered twice and drove in nine runs over two games for Clarkston. Teammate Riley Swanson homered and finished with seven RBIs, while Anna Draper drove in three with six hits. Destiny Shaffer paced Riverside with three RBIs and two hits. … The West Valley Eagles (4-2, 3-1) rode the arm of Rachel Meagley to a pair of wins over the host Medical Lake Cardinals (0-6, 0-2). Meagley allowed just one hit on her way to a 3-0 win in the opener and saw the Eagles score five times in the seventh inning of the second game for a 9-4 victory. Rachel Paradis had four RBIs on the day for West Valley. Medical Lake’s Gabrielle Daily singled in the seventh inning to break up Meagley’s no-hit bid in the opener and also had 12 strikeouts on the mound. … The Pullman Greyhounds (6-3, 3-1) rolled to a doubleheader sweep over the host Deer Park Stags (3-3, 0-2). Erika Hanson homered to center field and Pullman scored five times in each of the first two innings on its way to a 17-3 five-inning victory. Amy Sterk belted a three-run home run and the Greyhounds posted a 9-1 win in the second game.

Boys soccer

Great Northern League: Kevin Spangenberg scored on a penalty kick in the 27th minute and found the net again with 8 minutes remaining to lead the Pullman Greyhounds (5-2, 5-1) to a 2-0 victory over the host Riverside Rams (1-6, 1-5).

Elsewhere in the GNL: The Clarkston Bantams (3-4, 2-4) scored five unanswered goals – three by Jordan Semanko – to erase a two-goal deficit in a 5-2 victory over the visiting Colville Indians (0-6, 0-6).