Youth notebook: Colville’s Pinkham leads team to title

When Ben Pinkham’s mother, Kathy, sent an e-mail about her baseball playing son, she labeled it “Small town hero.”

That is what the recent Colville graduate proved to be. During the four-team All-State High School Baseball series in Yakima the weekend of June 13, Pinkham had a big hand in Team Adams’ championship.

He came on in relief in the fourth inning of the first game of the series. After allowing two runs as Adams fell behind 5-2, he surrendered just one hit against the next 14 batters he faced and his team rallied for an 11-7 victory.

“He could not believe he was chosen to go in as a pitcher since he was from a smaller school and had about nine teammates who were pitchers,” Kathy Pinkham wrote.

In the 2-1 title victory over Team Rainier, Pinkham played four innings at first base and doubled in his only at bat.

Teams were an amalgam of the best 4A through B players in state. Pinkham, a member of the AAA American Legion Northstars, was one of 10 from the Spokane-area feeder series nominated for the state series and subsequently was chosen to play.

Pinkham was a three-time second-team All-Great Northern League performer.

All-Star Football

Area high school football players are busying themselves with all-star football obligations this week in Everett and Yakima.

The State 4A/3A East-West game is at Memorial Stadium in Everett and the 15th annual Earl Barden All-Star Football Classic for 2A/1A/B is at Yakima’s Zaepfel Stadium, both Saturday at 1 p.m.

Greater Spokane League graduates on the East roster are quarterback Blake Bledsoe (Central Valley); wide receiver/defensive back Aaron Roberts; running back Nick Bellomy and lineman/linebacker Nate Guthrie (East Valley); wide receiver/defensive back Vaughn Kapiko and defensive end/tight end Chris Mastin (Lewis and Clark).

Saxon Jim Sharkey is an assistant coach. He said another Saxon, Elliott Bosch, was originally on the roster but had to decline.

“We’re a little short-handed,” Sharkey said while familiarizing himself with players Monday. “It’s been kind of interesting. It’s my first time and going to be a fun week.”

The 2A/1A/B East head coach, Lakeside’s Brian Dunn, is making his second appearance.

“I was an assistant one time before, in 2001,” Dunn said. “It was one of the highlights of my career. … We’ve got the best of the best here. They’re good football players and just great kids.”

Chewelah’s Jim Fisk and Lakeside assistant Tim Kline are helping him.

Local players are Cody Rollins (West Valley), Cody Weber and Jared Byers (Pullman) from the Great Northern League; Chris Miller (Freeman), Brady Blankevoort and Ben Fuson (Lakeside), Russell Whitley (Chewelah) and Tanner Knutson (Deer Park) from the Northeast A League; Ethan Smith and Joe Cammack (Colfax) from Northeast 2B.

Regional Premier Soccer

The U19 Spokane Shadow Girls reached the semifinals of last week’s U.S. Youth Soccer Championship Series Region IV tournament in Lancaster, Calif., losing 4-2 to eventual runner-up Avalanche Premier of Utah.

Ali Fenter scored both semifinal goals for the Shadow, which had gone 2-0-1 in round robin play and topped WSM Galaxy of Oregon 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The Shadow beat ARSYL San Juan Spirit 3-1, Idaho Xtreme 12-0 and tied Rio Vista (NM) FC 1-1 in the round robin. Tiara Pittman scored five goals against Idaho and Marissa Mykines had four, three coming in a six-minute span in the second half.

River City Boys U19 went 1-3 in the tournament. They lost 2-1 to eventual finalists WSM Gunners, beat Neusport (Nev) FC 4-0, and dropped a 1-0 match to the Cisco Toros in round robin matches. In the quarterfinals they were beaten 4-1 by New Mexico Rush Premier.

Wrestlers at nationals

North Central wrestling coach Luke Leifer will take a group of five area high school wrestlers to the National Duals Tournament in Oklahoma City this week.

The junior team (17-18) includes Jared Berlinger (112, North Central), Jacob Lauderdale (125, Lakeside), Josh Lauderdale (130, Lakeside), Devan Silva (152, West Valley) and Jacob Trotter (215, Mead).

Haley signs for football

Connor Haley, a standout receiver, quarterback and defender for Mt. Spokane, has signed to play at Western State College in Colorado. Western State is a Division II school in the Rocky Mountain Conference. Haley, according to Wildcats coach Mike McLaughlin, will play wide receiver.

Track signees

Distance runner Jordan Curnutt from Mead and hurdler-jumper Greg Barnes from Central Valley have signed letters of intent to compete at Eastern Washington University.

Diamond Gems

American Legion AAA remains a three-team race, with a game separating the Blue Devils (7-3), Cannons (5-3) and Northstars (6-4) through Sunday.

Cheney (9-0) is comfortably atop the AA South, Mt. Spokane (12-1) and Mead (8-1) lead the North, University (9-2) is two games ahead of Central Valley in the East, while Whitman County (9-0) and Ferris (8-1) continue to lead the West.

Cheney’s Alex Stevens and Colville’s Tanner Somday both threw one-hitters in a 3-0 Cheney victory. Stevens was an out away from a no-no and the only hit off Somday came in the first inning.

Earlier in the summer in a five-inning win, Ferris pitcher Spencer Ansett was perfect with 11 strikeouts.

Send us your summer highlights c/o mikev@spokesman.com or sports@spokesman.com.