Locally: Mead’s Isabella Brischle earns Inland Empire Softball Hall of Fame’s Doug “Pop” Bender Scholarship
From staff reports
Isabella Brischle, a four-year member of the Mead High School varsity, three-year starter at catcher and All-Greater Spokane League honoree, was selected as the Inland Empire Softball Hall of Fame’s Doug “Pop” Bender Scholarship award recipient for 2025.
Brischle, among the GSL leaders in batting average, RBIs and total hits, told the IESHOF she plans to use the $1,000 scholarship to attend Chapman University, a Division III school in Orange, California, to play softball. She has a 3.82 GPA.
Her award will be a highlight of the 50th IESHOF banquet on June 14 at the Valley Eagles Lodge, 16801 E. Sprague, in ceremonies starting at 4:30 p.m., in which four former players, two umpires and a longtime contributor to softball will be inducted.
Hall of Fame inductees are Mark Schutz and Tom Crouch, who played men’s modified; Tanya DeGeest, women’s modified; Lori Serbousek, women’s slowpitch; and Jeff Camp and Dave Stocker, umpires. Steve Fountain will be inducted into the Hall of Honor.
Dan Fry will receive the Hank Coplen Spotlight award, and the Hare family will be recognized with the Fiorillo Award, honoring Hector Jr. and Patrick Fiorillo, for its participation in the sport.
• Six area umpires worked the Washington state high school championship tournaments Memorial Day weekend.
From the Spokane Softball Umpires Association were Amy Reed, 2B/1B; Bill Jessel and Skip Taylor, 4A/1A; Jeff Camp, 2A; and Jacob Mowry, 3A. John Strickler from Colville Valley worked the 2B/1B.
• Senior Softball USA qualifies teams every year at “Rock’n Reno” for its National & World Championship tournaments.
At this year’s event, attended by more than 200 teams, “Northwest Sage” of Spokane, managed by Jim Hardenbrook, took home the championship trophy in the age 75+ AA division, with a record of 5-0.
The team roster included Mark Reilly, George Quiggle, Wayne Terry, Charlie Moon, TA Adams, Tom Crouch, Randy Scholz, Lew Krueger, Les Gipe, Stormy Weathers, Jim O’Hare, Gary Blake and Jim Hardenbrook. Five players from the Sage made the all-tournament team, based primarily on batting averages: Hardenbrook (,889); Gipe (.800); Quiggle (.778); Adams (.778); and Blake (.667).
The Sage are eligible to compete at the Northwest Championships next month in Salem, at the World Championships in Las Vegas in September, and at the Tournament of Champions in Winter Haven, Florida, in February.
Soccer
Spokane Velocity defender David Garcia achieved Team of the Round honors for his performance in the Velocity’s 1-0 loss to Monterey Bay in the second round of the USL Jagermeister Cup’s group stage on Wednesday. He recorded three clearances, three interceptions and eight recoveries.
Spokane faces AV Alta (3-3-2) on Saturday at Lancaster Municipal Stadium at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Golf
Liberty Lake’s Nora Haggerty finished second in the girls 12 and under division at the 2025 Pacific Northwest Junior PGA Championship on Sunday in Woodburn, Oregon.
Haggerty shot rounds of 104 and 90 at the event.