District 8 3A softball: Shadle Park tops NC in championship game

Shadle Park prides itself on putting runners on base and keeping rivals from doing the same thing.

After Thursday, the Highlanders can also pat themselves on the back for earning the title of District 8 3A softball champion, courtesy of a 5-3 win over North Central at Whitworth University.

Shadle began the afternoon by accepting the trophy for its first Greater Spokane League title since 2008, then quickly built a lead that seemed secure until the late innings. Solid defense kept NC at bay and allowed the young Highlanders to repeat as district champs.

“I wanted to go out on top and have the best year yet, so this is great,” said Sarah Tiffany, a rare senior on the roster, who went 2 for 4. “I’m excited and know we can go on to state.”

Shadle (19-2) won its 13th consecutive game.

“We have a week off and we have some things to work on,” Highlanders coach Guy Perham said. “We’ll most likely see Kamiakin and we have to play better.”

Shadle stranded 10 runners on base as NC freshman Brooke Olson pitched out of trouble most innings. The Highlanders’ third, fourth and fifth batters, Laurie Jones, Jaya Allen and Tiffany, were on base a combined 11 of 12 plate appearances.

“We definitely had to look out for (Olson’s) change-up and we made sure we got our sticks going early,” said Jones, whose slick fielding at shortstop anchored the infield’s solid defensive day.

“I think it’s really important because they can hit all day, but defense is what’s going to stop them,” said Tiffany, a four-year varsity player who converted from outfield to second base last season.

The Highlanders had four of their 10 hits in their first five at-bats against Olson. Kaitlyn Scoble, who went 3 for 4, singled and scored on Jones’ bouncer up the middle. Jones, after moving to third on Allen’s double, scored on Tiffany’s single just out of the reach of second baseman Abby Nelson.

Freshman Harmony Bay gave Shadle a 3-0 edge with an RBI groundout in the third. Melina Mendoza and Breanna Barnes singled and scored during the Highlanders’ two-run fourth.

Allen was working on a four-hit shutout when the Indians (10-11) came alive in the sixth. Hannah George and Olson singled before catcher Kaylee Levien, who had six RBIs during Tuesday’s district win over Mt. Spokane, sent a three-run blast to left-center.

Allen responded with two strikeouts and had little trouble in the seventh.

“It’s hard shutting down those good sticks they have at 3, 4, 5, 6 in the order,” Perham said. … “(Jaya) did great. They got a couple of hits, but she shut them down when she needed to do it.”

District 7 2A

Pullman 10, E. Valley 8: Becca Wickard finished 2 for 4 with a third-inning homer and the visiting Greyhounds (9-9) qualified for the title game. The Knights (12-10) led 6-4 when Pullman struck for six runs in the sixth, aided by five EV errors. EV’s Katy Sinn went 3 for 5 to finish the season with a .642 batting average. Pullman will meet host Cheney (18-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday for the district title. The winner will host a winner-to-state game against Central Washington Athletic Conference No. 3 on May 23. The loser will travel to CWAC No. 2 on the same day for a winner-to-state game.