Herd leads West to Barden victory

YAKIMA, Wash. — In the first half of Saturday’s 15th Earl Barden Classic, the West team went with a quarterback rotation of Greg Herd and Chris Smith, and its offense never really clicked.

The second half became a one-man show for Herd, and he turned in a virtuoso performance.

Herd, the Eastern Washington University-bound athlete from Steilacoom High, threw a momentum-shifting touchdown pass and later ran for another score to rally the West to a 31-13 victory over the East on a sunny afternoon at Zaepfel Stadium.

“He’s quick; He’s fast and strong,” Selah defensive lineman Ethan Bersing, the East defensive player of the game with 5 1/2 sacks, said of the 6-foot-3, 198-pound Herd. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.”

Herd’s athletic ability was on full display in the second half, particularly his knack for eluding an aggressive East pass rush that helped keep the West bottled up for most of the first half.

It was that skill for escaping that ultimately turned the game around.

On a fourth-and-4 from the East 27, Herd dropped back to pass and was on the verge of being sacked for about a 10-yard loss, but, some how, he not only slipped away from a lineman, but stayed on his feet. Herd then spotted Derek Rice open in the end zone, firing a perfect strike for the score that helped give the West a 14-13 lead with 19 seconds left in the third quarter.

“I was standing there watching and I thought he was dead,” Rice said of the near-sack. “All of a sudden, I see the ball coming toward me and I thought, ‘Oh, God, I better catch it.’”

Rice did and the momentum clearly swung to the West, which fell behind 13-0 in the first quarter after miscues twice gave the East the ball deep in West territory.

The West’s defense, buoyed by Herd’s play, picked off Brady Blankevoort on the East’s first play on the ensuing possession, with Darren Collinwood returning it to the East 19. Four plays later, Jared Rodgers scored on a 1-yard run.

The East then fumbled the ball on the kickoff after that score, and on second down, Herd scrambled out of pressure and ran 16 yards untouched for the West’s final touchdown.

“I consider myself an athlete and was just trying to make plays,” said Herd, who also had second-half runs of 23, 22 and 17 yards. “My teammates did a great job of buying me time with pass protection and the receivers kept finding open spots downfield.”

Herd, the West co-offensive MVP with Rice, finished 7-for-18 for 134 yards, and also ran for 70 yards on 10 carries.

Kicker Cameron Homan from Eatonville capped the scoring with a Barden Classic-record 36-yard field.

After spotting the East those two early scores, the West defense was pretty much air tight, particularly in the second half, when it allowed just three first downs — one on the East’s first play of the half and another in the final minute with the game’s outcome decided.

“They came out fired up (in the second half),” Granger’s Mychal Lopez, the East offensive MVP, said of the West defense. “We just couldn’t stay on the field.

“But we’re happy with how things ended. We would’ve liked to have gotten a W, but the team worked hard all week. We’ve got nothing to hang our heads about.”

West    0    7    7    17    —    31
East    13    0    0    0    —    13
East — David Garza 1 run (Jose Bucio kick)
East — Jonathan Buchanan 4 pass from Brady Blankevoort (kick failed)
West — Chris Smith 1 run (Cameron Homan kick)
West — Derek Rice 27 pass from Greg Herd (Homan kick)
West — Jered Rodgers 1 run (Homan kick)
West — Herd 16 run (Homan kick)
West — FG Homan 36

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—West, Greg Herd 10-70, Devon Hughes 4-20, David Gaylord 6-13, Derek Rice 3-10, Jered Rodgers 5-5, Stetson Shearer 3-(minus 3), Cameron Homan 1-(minus 8), Luke Dixon 5-(minus 11), Chris Smith 3-(minus 19). East, David Garza 7-8, Oscar Ramirez 4-6, Derrick Talley 2-(minus 3), Brady Blankvoort 2-(minus 3), Derek Todd 5-(minus 32).
PASSING—West, Herd 7-18-134-1, Smith 2-4-15-1. East, Todd 8-16-78-0, Blankvoort 7-11-49-1, Mychal Lopez 0-1-0-1.
RECEIVING—West, Zach Gehring 4-91, Rice 4-63, Brandon Smith 1-(minus 5). East, Blair Collins 7-38, Lopez 3-47, Trevor Davis 2-19, Jonathan Buchanan 2-17, Miles Gardner 1-6.

Eglin wins 3rd straight City title

SELAH , Wash.— For the second straight year, Nancy Eglin and Pat Martin brought their duel for the Women’s City Tournament championship to the final hole.

Eglin, clinging to a one-shot lead both times, won last year when Martin narrowly missed a short birdie putt to tie.

This time, Eglin was in control of her fate as they reached the 18th green at the Yakima Elks Golf and Country Club, albeit in the form of a tricky pin-high 15-foot par putt to avoid a playoff with Martin, who put her chip inside a foot from the hole.

But Eglin confidently stepped up and rolled in the shot to edge Martin by a shot.

“They were few and far between,” Eglin said, referring to her ability to make those-length putts during the 54-hole event. “I was just thankful I didn’t leave that putt short.”

By making it, Eglin finished with a 6-over 80, giving her a 235 total and her third straight victory in the event, putting her in some elite company.

“I thought I might be able to get into a playoff, but she stepped up and made that putt. There wasn’t much I could do,” said Martin, who matched Eglin’s 80 to finish at 236.

That nail-biting finish capped a back-and-forth final round in which each member of the final threesome held the lead at some point Thursday.

“It was fun; we all went back and forth,” said Chris Scacco, the third member of the group who forged into the lead after back-to-back pars on Nos. 10 and 11.

“Then I went brain dead,” she said, alluding to her finish that left her with an 83 and five shots behind Eglin.

Back nine struggles at 15 and 16 ended up relegating Martin, an eight-time champion, to her third straight runner-up finish to Eglin.

Martin had moved ahead by a stroke after making a tricky downhill putt on 14, but then bogeyed both 15 and 16, while Eglin went par-par to start a solid all-par finish over the final four holes.

“I hit a couple of errant shots … and Nancy played great; she was very consistent,” said Martin, who has now combined with Eglin to win the past six City titles.

With her victory, Eglin became just the eighth player in the 75-year history of the tournament to win at least three straight crowns. It was also her fourth victory overall, breaking out of a tie with Marie Clark and Terry Powell, and moving one behind five-time winners Trudi Inslee and Suzanne Monson.

Eglin said she hasn’t really thought about the company she’s joined, saying she’s just happy to be playing well after having arthroscopic surgery on her rotator cuff last November.

“The last two years, I did not know how bad it was and how much it affected my swing,” she said. “It just feels good to be pain free.”

And also to be back in the winner’s circle.

FINAL RESULTS

Low gross of the field: Nancy Eglin 76-79-80—235.

Low net of the field: Mary Davis 211.

First Flight

Gross: Pat Martin 77-79-80—236, Chris Scacco 77-79-83—240, Betty Gilmore 249, Cindi Stewart 260.

Net: Robin Cole 216, (tie) Debbie Holbrook 219, Christine Cook 219, Paula Williams 221.

Second Flight

Gross: Cindy Lane 269, Cricket Callarman 275, Judy Rozelle 282, (tie) Judy Cussons 283, Verne Contardi 283.

Net: Judy Jones 215, Olive Ruff 219, Carol Finney 225, Carolyn Henyan 227.

Third Flight

Gross: Linda Plummer 289, Pat Mosley 300, Sandi Morris 301, Torrie Melton 306.

Net: Carolyn Bowman 215, (tie) Lynda Matthews 221, Carol Judy 221, Helen Tweedy 225.

KPs—First Flight: Pat Martin, 9 feet, 3 inches; Second Flight: None; Third Flight: Carol Romig, 17-4. Long drive—First Flight: Chris Scacco; Second Flight: Judy Rozelle; Third Flight: Pat Mosley.

Local golfers shut out of U.S. Open

ROSLYN, Wash. — Brock Mackenzie was as close to a spot in the U.S. Open as many of his putts that teetered agonizingly around the hole Monday.

But, as Mackenzie has learned during his time as a professional, when competing against a top-flight field, being close isn’t good enough.

The Yakima golfer successfully battled through his struggles for 27 holes to get into prime position to grab one of two available spots in the 36-hole Open qualifier at Tumble Creek at Suncadia.

Despite 35 putts, Mackenzie managed to shoot even-par 71 in his morning round, and after posting a 1-under 35 on the front nine of the afternoon round, he was tied for second with nine holes left.

But Mackenzie was never able to sort out his short-game woes, wasting several good birdie opportunities and settling for tap-in pars or worse. He shot 4-over on the back en route to a frustrating 74 that gave him a 145 total, seven shots behind runner-up Andrew Parr.

“I was in perfect shape, without making anything in those first 27 holes,” said the former University of Washington standout, who watched the Huskies’ current golf ace, Nick Taylor, earn medalist honors with a 6-under 136 total. “Then I had a couple of loose swings on the back and end up missing out by a couple of strokes.”

That was a similar story for Cle Elum’s Dan Whitaker, who shot 74-75 for a 149 total.

“It was so frustrating,” Whitaker said. “I hit a lot of good shots and just enough bad ones.”

Zach Wanderscheid, a junior at Goldendale High, had a strong practice round Sunday, shooting 2-under, but he couldn’t duplicate that touch in Monday’s windy conditions, shooting 84-79 for a 163 total.

“The course was tough and I wasn’t playing well,” said Wanderscheid, who had shared medalist honors in the U.S. Open local qualifier May 13 at the Home Course in DuPont.

“I was feeling good coming in and feeling confident, but I couldn’t do anything right today.”

That was exactly how Mackenzie felt around the greens, squandering far more birdie opportunities than he cared to count.

“You’ve got to make putts when you’re up against such a good field,” said Mackenzie, noting that many in Monday’s field of 36 are regular members on the Canadian professional tour, including himself.

A microcosm of Mackenzie’s missed back-nine opportunities came at No. 15.

After a solid tee shot on the 515-yard 15th, Mackenzie had trouble reading the swirling winds and sent his approach to the right, thinking there was a crosswind that would push the ball onto the green. Instead, the ball never moved off line and landed in the

greenside bunker.

Then he hit a fat sand shot, leaving the ball well short of the hole. He made a solid birdie putt, but it stopped inches short as he settled for par, stunting a chance to make a closing run.

“At times, I guessed on what the wind was doing. It was hard to commit to a shot,” he said, adding that he’s confident in his game even though he struggled on the Nationwide Tour last year.

“My game feels good. It’s not where it needs to be, but it’s coming,” he said. “Hopefully I can reboot my confidence this summer.”

Parr grabbed the second berth in the Open by following up his morning 71 with a 4-under 67 and a 138 total, two shots ahead of three golfers.

This year’s Open is June 18-21 at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Pak hopes winning springs translate to summer

YAKIMA, Wash. — Having thrown his Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak team together quite quickly, coach Mike Archer isn’t sure exactly how fast all the pieces are going to fit together.

He does, however, know what the backbone of this year’s team will be — a group of players with a history of winning and being successful on the baseball field.

“We’ve got kids from three programs that are used to winning. Our guys come from quality programs with quality coaches,” Archer said, alluding to a roster consisting of players from Selah (five), West Valley (nine) and Naches Valley (two) high schools.

Just a week ago, Naches Valley won the Class 1A state championship, Selah finished second in 2A, and West Valley was third in 3A.

Now, players from those teams will attempt to get the Pak at least one step further than last season’s squad, which lost in the Senior Legion state championship game.

“We’re throwing it together as fast as we can … we’re still a few weeks away,” Archer said. “(But) I don’t see why, at the end of the year, we’re not right there (at the top of the standings).”

It might not take as long as Archer worries for the Pak to find its footing considering that Yakima Valley, despite its lack of practices, opened with two Central Washington League doubleheader sweeps this week, including an impressive 13-2, 8-4 sweep at the Twin City Titans, the team that beat the Pak 8-7 in 10 innings for the state championship last season.

Part of the team’s immediate success can be attributed to a core of six returning players — Dustin Daniels, Jake Fife, Cory Urquhart, Kevin Allan, Matt Snider and Justin Windsor.

“With Jake, Cory and Kevin, we have three pretty good guys back,” Archer said. “Daniels played at Big Bend (Community College) this year, and having a two-year starting catcher (Snider) back is a good thing.”

Fife, Windsor, Justin Johnson, and the two Naches Valley players, Thomas Wilcox and Ethan Flory will head up the pitching rotation. Fife was 10-0 with 95 strikeouts and two postseason shutouts for Selah this past prep season.

“It’ll take some time for our pitching to develop, but I think we’ll get there,” Archer said. “They all work hard. They pick things up quick and compete.”

The offense, led by returners Urquhart (who hit .508 for West Valley this spring), Fife and Allen, and Flory (who hit .570 with eight homers for the Rangers), will be deep, Archer said.

“One thing we stress upon the kids is that there has to be nine tough outs in the lineup,” Archer said. “With the kids we have out there, we have that.”

The Pak also has versatility in the field, with six players on the roster having multiple positions (not including pitcher) listed by their names — Daniels (1B-RF), Fife (3B-2B), Allan (2B-1B), Tucker Leppa (LF-3B), Garrett Olson (LF-3B), and Windsor (3B-1B).

“The good thing about players coming from schools of our size is that they’re all interchangeable,” Archer said.

The combination of pitching, hitting and defense bodes well for Yakima Valley’s postseason chances, with the setup the same as last summer.

The top four Central Washington League teams advance to a Super Regional, one hosted by a league team, and the others in Colfax, Bellingham and Bellevue on July 18-19.

The top two from each of those advance to the state tournament July 25-29 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma. That winner heads to regionals Aug. 6-10 in Medford, Ore. The World Series is Aug. 14-18 in Fargo, N.D.

Best of the best

Prosser’s Moore, Davis’ Martinez earn top honors ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — In just 10 days, Kirby Moore will join older brother Kellen at Boise State University.

Thursday, the younger Moore joined his brother as one of the top high school athletes in the Yakima Valley.

Kirby Moore, the national record-setting receiver at Prosser High, was named the male Athlete of the Year at the seventh annual Yakima Valley Sports Awards banquet at the Yakima Convention Center.

“It’s a great honor, particularly with Kellen and Cody (Bruns) also winning,” Kirby Moore said. “It’s nice to be even with him (Kellen).”

Actually, Kellen still has one more AOY plaque, winning in both 2006 and ’07, with former Prosser and current University of Washington receiver Cody Bruns taking the top honor last spring.

Sandra Martinez, meanwhile, ran away with the female athlete honor, completing an impressive trifecta accomplished just one other time in the seven-year history of this banquet.

“This is really amazing,” said the recent Davis graduate, a cross-country and track and field standout who will head to Oregon State University in the fall. “I just wanted to mainly enjoy my senior year and I’m pretty happy with how it all worked out.”

Things finally worked out for Anne Newell and her La Salle girls soccer team as the young Lightning — it had just one senior — broke through to win its first state championship, beating Evergreen Lutheran 1-0 in overtime in the Class B final, after runner-up finishes in each of the previous three seasons.

That effort earned Newell the Jack Cleveland Coach of the Year award, as she bested winter coach winner Pat Fitterer (Eisenhower boys basketball) and spring winner Jake Sagare (West Valley boys soccer).

Naches Valley baseball, which captured the Class 1A state baseball title last week at Yakima County Stadium, earned overall Team of the Year, edging Prosser football (fall team) and Granger girls basketball (winter).

In a school year filled with impressive team and individual accomplishments, Moore and Martinez managed to rise above that crowded field.

Particularly Moore, whose 34 touchdown receptions this past fall broke the national high school single-season record, it was 33, and also set a new national standard for career TD receptions with 95, shattering the old mark of 83. His career mark broke the state record of 72 set the previous season by Bruns.

Moore’s effort helped the Mustangs win its first 13 games before a heartbreaking 35-34 double-overtime loss to Lynden in the Class 2A state championship game.

“It was really, really disappointing we did not win the state title, but we still had a great year,” Moore said. “I just want to say thank you all the people of Prosser who have been so supportive of us over the years.”

Martinez started her senior year with a second-place finish in the Class 4A state cross country meet last fall, her third straight top-seven finish at state. This spring, she set school records in the 1,600 (4:57.59) and the 3,200 (10:41:36), with the latter an all-time Yakima city record. Martinez took third in the 3,200 at state, the third time she’s placed in that event.

“I like them both (cross-country and track) but cross country is my main sport,” said Martinez, adding that she’s excited for the opportunity to continue doing both at Oregon State.

Martinez joins Selah’s Allyson Powell as the only other athlete, male or female, to be named the top athlete in two separate sports and then take the overall honor. Powell was the volleyball and fastpitch winner en route to the overall female honor in the 2006-07 school year.

Mavs look to refocus

YAKIMA, Wash. — Throughout their often-easy run through the Washington Football League, the one thing the Yakima Mavericks hadn’t experienced was adversity.

When they finally got a taste of that — in last Saturday’s loss at Wenatchee Valley — coach Steve Davis didn’t care for their initial response.

“I didn’t like the way they handled the first 15 minutes of adversity,” Davis said. “They hadn’t done some of those things all year.”

But after Davis had a “heart-to-heart talk” with his team, Yakima went out and showed the mettle that had made them 8-0 to that point, with the Mavericks nearly digging out of a 24-0 hole in the final quarter.

It was that response that has Davis confident his team will be ready for their playoff opener at noon Saturday against the Spokane Wolfpack at Zaepfel Stadium.

“They’ll bounce back,” Davis said.

They’d better because there’s no do-overs should Yakima get out to another slow start against Spokane, a team the Mavericks beat 20-2 in their regular-season meeting but one that’s improved quite a bit since then, Davis said.

“Their defense is really good. At times, we had trouble moving the ball,” he said. “Their offense has improved. We took it to them pretty well defensively (on May 9), but they’ve improved a lot. Their passing game has improved so we have to be prepared.”

Of course, Davis doesn’t mind relying on his defense.

The veteran group has been stellar most of the season, posting two shutouts and allowing seven points or less in seven of Yakima’s eight victories.

“Every time they step on the field, they take pride in what they do,” Davis said. “They hold themselves accountable. My guys know immediately after a play if they did what they were supposed to or made a bad play.”

Yakima’s defense has been an important reason why the Mavericks have usually won two crucial battles each game — turnovers and field position — giving the offense plenty of short fields by either forcing a mistake or a punt from deep in the opposing team’s end.

Those two factors will go a long way toward determining Saturday’s winner.

“In any playoff game, it’s all about turnovers and field position,” Davis said. “If you can win those two categories, you’ve got a great chance to be successful.”

Of course, Yakima’s offense hasn’t exactly drug the team down in those categories.

Led by quarterback John Lobbestael, the Mavericks failed to score 20 points in just one of their eight victories, and that came in extremely adverse conditions at Okanogan.

And Lobbestael has been highly efficient, throwing just two interceptions all season. He threw for 140 yards and two scores in the victory over Spokane.

“Offensively, we have to have some good, smart, intelligent drives,” Davis said. “We have to be able to move the ball and, even if we don’t score, try to pin them (Spokane) deep in their territory.”

Saturday’s winner will face the winner of Wenatchee at South Sound for the Washington Football League championship. That title game will be June 13, with Yakima hosting should it defeat Spokane.

Coach Sarkisian jaws with UW faithful

YAKIMA, Wash. — After listening to Steve Sarkisian for just a few minutes, it’s easy to understand why there is such renewed energy among University of Washington boosters regarding their currently downtrodden football program.

Fans who were dazed and depressed after an 0-12 season have now been infused with a positive vibe since the new coach was hired in December.

“I don’t know if we created a buzz as quickly as coach Sark,” said Lorenzo Romar, who himself turned around the men’s basketball program after coming aboard in April 2002. “All you had to do (to see Sarkisian’s impact) was to go to the spring football game and see how the fans are reacting.”

Sarkisian brought his message to Yakima on Monday, appearing at the annual UW Coaches Tour at the Yakima Country Club.

That message was delivered with a blend of charisma and common sense, by someone with an unbridled passion for his job but also smart enough to not promise the moon and stars to win-starved boosters.

“They hired me to do a job, which is to win football games and be a great representative for the school,” said Sarkisian, who came to Washington after spending the past two seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the highly successful University of Southern California Trojans.

“I’m focussed on making us better in three areas,” he continued. “First, obviously, is on the football field. But also, by what we do in the classroom and how we conduct ourselves off the field. I’m not going to waver from that focus.”

Sarkisian’s positive start results from the combination of an outgoing personality that has endeared himself to supporters — something his predecessor Tyrone Willingham failed to do — and his ability to quickly detach himself from the Willingham regime by promising success — without promising victories.

That’s not to say Sarkisian doesn’t want to win. He deeply wants to win and expects to win — eventually. But he also knows you don’t go from 0-12 to bowl eligible overnight, particularly in a conference like the Pac-10.

“My expectations are that they play with great effort and play they way they were taught to,” he said. “If they do that, they’ll be competitive. Will that result in wins? I don’t know.

“But there’s a certain standard of play we’ll hold the kids to. The expectations within the program are a lot higher than outside it. I have to be realistic, but I’ll never accept for a second where we were.”

In an effort to change that culture of losing, Sarkisian has made it clear to players that there is no past history. Everything started anew the day he was hired, because he knows that wide-open competition for playing time is the best way to get the maximum effort out of players.

“I’ve wiped the slate clean,” he said. “We’re starting from scratch, and the kids have responded. We coached them hard, but they liked that. They came here to play football and that’s what we’re letting them do.

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but we’re making progress.”

How quickly that progress results in victories remains to be seen, and, realistically, Sarkisian knows it could take some time to re-establish the Huskies’ winning ways. But even that prospect doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm.

“I’m having a blast,” he said. “This is a great job and I love where we’re at. The community support has been fantastic. The sky’s the limit.”
An infectious attitude that seems to be spreading quickly among the Husky faithful.

FASTPITCH: Adna’s Sandrini goes the distance

YAKIMA, Wash. — Jessika-Jo Sandrini’s needle was leaning hard on empty, the heat and her aggressive baserunning taking a toll on the Adna pitcher.

She was getting oxygen on the bench in the fifth inning, according to her coach Mike Raschke, who wanted to bring in a fresh arm to finish up the Class 2B championship game Saturday at Gateway Sports Complex.

But after what happened in last year’s final, taking the loss in a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat to rival Toutle Lake, there was absolutely no way she was leaving this game.

So Sandrini headed back out for the sixth inning, protecting a tenuous one-run lead against Pe Ell, which had beaten the Pirates for the district championship.

Somehow, someway, Sandrini mustered up enough fuel to finish the journey, setting down the final six Tigers to secure a 5-4 victory.

“I can’t say enough about Jess,” Raschke said of the junior, who finished with 12 strikeouts, including one of Cassie Johnson to end the game. “She gives you all she can. She couldn’t get her breath in the fifth inning, but I couldn’t get her out of there.”

“I was battling the heat and they were trying to take me out, but that was not gonna happen,” said a smiling Sandrini, giving much of the credit to her defense, which included two putouts at home from the outfield. “My defense helped me a lot. Everyone contributed.”

This was Adna’s first title since winning the 1A crown in 2002.

“This is indescribable. It’s awesome,” said Sandrini, who was also a force on the basepaths, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases and three runs scored, all on singles by Taylor Hoke. “We really came together as a team.”

Sandrini’s first two runs gave Adna a 2-0 lead but an error by Sandrini opened the door for Pe Ell to score twice in the fourth.

Adna (24-3) answered right back when Sandrini led off the fifth with a single, stole second, narrowly avoiding the tag, and scored on Hoke’s single. Hoke scored on a double by Jordan Sandrini, who then scored on Brooke Williams’ double.

Pe Ell (18-5) got two back in the bottom of the inning, but the rally was stunted when left fielder Williams threw out Demi Keller at home for the first out.

In the second inning, Adna center fielder Jordan Zurfluh gunned down Kendra Henry at the plate.

“When we started the year, our goal was to get back here and win it,” Raschke said. “I tip my hat to all my kids.”

There was similar elation on the adjoining field where Colton also avenged a district title game loss with a 13-1 whipping of defending champion Touchet in the 1B final.

“The whole tournament we hit the ball,” said Colton coach Brad Nelson, noting that his team had just two hits against Touchet starter Nicole Brown in the district title game.

Colton and Touchet ended up splitting their four meetings this season, but Nelson was quick to add, “But this is the one to win.”

There was no doubt about this one as Colton jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first and kept pushing, breaking things open with a seven-run third, highlighted by Brooke Vincent’s three-run homer.

Kelsey Moser led the offense, going 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.

In 2B consolations Saturday, both Kittitas (23-2) and La Salle (15-7) lost their first games, with the Coyotes falling to Davenport 8-5, and the Lightning dropping a 12-4 decision to Colfax.

“We’re a little disappointed but we competed all three games,” Kittitas coach Nate Phillips said. “We had a chance at the end (today) and that’s all you can ask.”

“We had a positive season,” La Salle coach Sara Adams said. “I’m proud of them, in spite of the losses (at state).”

Thorp-Easton also lost its 1B consolation game Saturday, racing to an early 3-0 lead before falling to Inchelium 12-6.

“The girls are happy with how things went and this should help us for next year,” coach Logan Mohr said of her young team that graduates just two seniors.

FASTPITCH: Adna deals Kittitas first loss

YAKIMA, Wash. — Perfection ended perfection.

Kittitas brought a 23-0 record into Friday night’s Class 2B quarterfinal against Adna, but the Coyotes had no chance to add on against the Pirates’ Jessika-Jo Sandrini.

The only thing slowing up the junior pitcher was an hour-long rain delay before she could take the mound for the bottom of the first inning.

Sandrini allowed just four balls to be put in play, one resulting in an error, as she threw a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts in Adna’s 8-0 victory at Gateway Sports Complex.

“Have I seen anything like her? No. She was on,” Kittitas coach Nate Phillips said. “I felt pretty good about our effort, but we didn’t accomplish much at the plate.”

It was a similar story for Thorp-Easton, who had their titles dreams ended against defending Class 1B champion Touchet and pitcher Stephanie Samuels.

Samuels wasn’t nearly as dominant as Sandrini, but the sophomore was highly effective, scattering four hits and striking out 10 in a 5-0 victory over the Wildcats.

“They hit and we didn’t,” Thorp-Easton coach Logan Mohr said, referring to the Tigers’ nine-hit attack. “We played about the best we have all year. We just didn’t adjust to their pitching.”

Despite the loss, Thorp-Easton (12-6), which opened with a 7-3 victory over Taholah, stayed alive and will face Inchelum today at 2 p.m. with the winner playing for third and fourth place.

“We got that first win,” Mohr said, “so we’re ahead of what everybody predicted.”

La Salle also stayed alive in the 2B bracket, bouncing back nicely from an opening round defeat to eliminate defending champion Toutle Lake, 8-5.

“For La Salle, any win at state is a plus, especially against a team from District 4,” coach Sara Adams said, referring to the district that has produced six of the seven Class B fastpitch champions. “Now they know they can win; they know they can compete with anyone.”

The Lightning (15-6) will face Colfax this morning at 10 a.m. in a loser-out game.

Kittitas is also in a loser-out game, at 10 a.m. against Davenport, and the Coyotes can only hope they regain their hitting stroke after Sandrini’s gem Friday evening.

Sandrini, who was the tough-luck loser in last year’s 2-1 loss to Toutle Lake in the championship game, got two ground ball outs to end the first inning and then struck out the next seven Kittitas hitters before Sareena Calahan reached on an error by the second baseman with one out in the fourth.

That didn’t rattle Sandrini, who struck out 10 straight hitters before getting Kayvonne Vaver to fly out to center to end the game.

Sandrini helped her own cause by doubling and scoring in the first to get Adna an early 1-0 advantage. She finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

The game was actually closer than the final score, with Kittitas trailing just 3-0 before some defensive breakdowns led to five unearned runs in the top of the seventh.

“Outside of that last inning, I thought we played pretty well defensively,” Phillips said. “And I thought Maup (pitcher Dallas Maupin) threw well.

“I think we’ll bounce back today.”

Kittitas opened play with a thrilling 7-6 victory in nine innings over Selkirk, as the Coyotes scored twice in the bottom of the ninth.

La Salle didn’t start nearly as well as it finished, losing 12-0 to Seattle Lutheran. But the Lightning woke up against Toutle Lake, with Tori Gonzalez throwing a complete game and going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Amy Holbrook added two hits and three RBI, Ally Hernandez had two hits, two runs and an RBI, and Lauren DeGooyer had two hits and two runs.

FASTPITCH: A different story for Valley squads

YAKIMA, Wash., — When the three local teams hit the Gateway Complex fields today for their respective state fastpitch tournaments, they will be approaching things from vastly different perspectives.

In the Class 2B tournament, both Kittitas and La Salle are making return trips, hoping to build on last season’s experience, while in the 1B event, Thorp-Easton is charting new territory after a 10-year state drought.

There is, however, one similarity in that all three coaches expressed confidence in their team’s abilities to compete for a trophy.

“We should know what to expect; there shouldn’t be any surprises,” said Kittitas coach Nate Phillips, whose team puts its perfect 22-0 record on the line against Selkirk in today’s first round. “Hopefully, the past two years of (state) experience will help us this time.”

La Salle is also making a return trip, but the big difference is that the Lightning expected to get here this spring. La Salle reached state last spring despite winning just six games — two in the district tournament. This season, the Lightning brings a 14-5 record into today’s first-round game against Seattle Lutheran.

“We’ve had a huge turnaround … and the girls have built their confidence with every victory this season,” first-year coach Sara Adams said.

Confidence has been a big part of Thorp-Easton’s first state trip since 1999.

“They never give up … and are confident they can come back in any game,” coach Logan Mohr said of her 11-5 team that opens against Taholah. “They’re very even-keeled.”

Among the three, Kittitas appears to have the best shot at a deep run, thanks in large part to junior pitcher Dallas Maupin (20-0, 0.78 ERA, 179 strikeouts in 108 innings).

“She’s pretty accurate,” Phillips said, “can hit her spots and move the ball where she wants to.”

She’s also a pretty good hitter, with a .535 average, seven home runs, 42 runs scored and 37 RBI.

Maupin is one piece of a solid offense that features first baseman Kayvonne Vaver, center fielder Sam Calahan, left fielder and leadoff hitter Jessie Collins, right fielder Jordan Paul and shortstop Jordyn Hudson.

“We can get it done (offensively) in a variety of ways,” Phillips said.

La Salle features a mix of power and small-ball skill, led by pitcher Tori Gonzalez (.525 average), first baseman Whitney Anderson (.500, 30 RBI), and catcher Amy Holbrook (.508). Second baseman Ally Hernandez (.412), center fielder Lauren DeGooyer (.338), shortstop Katie Knoeble (.345) and Elise Fenich (.333) add depth.

“We have a group of power hitters, but we play more small ball,” Adams said.

Thorp-Easton has gotten it done with primarily nine players, including three eighth graders.

“I just try to keep them happy and hope no one gets hurt,” said Mohr, laughing.

Pitcher Kelsey Hutchinson has been a workhorse, pitching all but one game, and is backed offensively by shortstop Caroline Glazes (.545), third baseman Melissa Alma (.600), and catcher Morgan Lowery (.545).

All three teams will face daunting challenges, particularly in the 2B tournament, where last season’s top four finishers return — defending champion Toutle Lake, runner-up Adna, third-place finisher Mossyrock and Pe Ell — along with 1B runner-up Garfield-Palouse, who moved up this season.

“We just tell the girls we’re going to see some tough teams … but we’re confident we can hit any pitcher,” said Adams, whose team will face either Toutle Lake or Garfield-Palouse if it wins its opener.

In the eight-team 1B tournament, defending champion Touchet returns, as do Inchelium and Entiat, which played for third and fourth, with the former winning 6-2.

Thorp-Easton would face the defending champs in today’s semifinals should both win its openers.

“We just want the kids focused on themselves and not the opponent,” Mohr said, “and try to keep them relaxed.”

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