Shadle Park in 3A, Gonzaga Prep in 4A win GSL’s top seeds to regional baseball

Shadle Park finally figured out how to win a close game, edging Mt. Spokane on Friday to win the District 8 3A baseball championship.

Earlier Friday, the Highlanders posted another shutout, beating Rogers 5-0.

With the two wins at Whitworth University’s Merkel Field, the Highlanders (12-10) went from the visiting team in a loser-out game to the Greater Spokane League’s No. 1 seed in the upcoming 3A regionals in the Tri-Cities.

“This is special,” an emotional coach Ron Brooks said after beating the Wildcats. “They don’t come around all the time. These are some great kids.”

In the District 8 4A tournament, Gonzaga Prep pounded out 11 hits and got some help from University’s fielders in a 7-3 win at Avista Stadium that didn’t seem that close.

With the win, the Bullpups head to the Tri-Cities next Saturday as the No. 1 seed.

“If we play like we did tonight, we’ll be in good shape against anybody,” G-Prep coach Brian Munhall said.

In the earlier game at Avista, Central Valley (10-12) upset Mead 6-4, ending the Panthers’ season at 12-10. The Bears move on as the district’s No. 3 seed to regionals.

Shadle Park played the role of spoiler.

The Highlanders broke open a pitchers’ duel with five runs in the top of the eighth inning to end the season for Rogers (11-7).

“We were finally able to string some hits together,” Brooks said.

In the later game at Whitworth, Highlanders pitcher Kodee Riendeau pitched six scoreless innings, gave up only three hits and struck out five against a Mt. Spokane team that won the GSL going away.

Brooks said Riendeau has pitched better than his record indicated. Friday, he was almost unhittable.

“We went 24 innings without scoring a run. Now we are the No. 1 team out of our district,” Brooks said. “I’m very proud.”

In the 4A championship, the pitchers mostly took it on the chin early in the game.

The Titans (11-9) scored in the top of the first inning when Jared Smith got a base hit to right field that scored Mitchell Rhodes.

But the Bullpups (15-7) led off the bottom of the first inning with three consecutive hits off of U-Hi starter Nathan Awbery.

Ryan Gross then knocked in Ryan Cote. Two batters later, Cael McKeirnan hit a single that scored Jordan Rathbone and Jack Machtolf to make it 3-1 G-Prep.

Rathbone knocked in two more runs in the bottom of the second inning and that’s all the Bullpups would need.

“I told the team last night that pitching and defense wins championships,” U-Hi coach Tom Hoiland said. G-Prep “flat out-pitched us and outplayed us. With a team like G-Prep, you’ve got to play well and we just didn’t.”

Now the Titans, Bears and Bullpups are heading to the Tri-Cities next weekend.

“We’ve got all week to prepare and get ready,” Hoiland said, “and we’ll see if we can go make some noise.”