Sliders headed to nationals for sixth time

For the fifth straight year and sixth in the last seven, the Spokane Sliders will be headed to the U-18 A ASA Softball Nationals, this year in Owensboro, Ky.

Spokane took second place at the U-18 A ASA National Qualifier in Great Falls, Mont., earning a trip to nationals July 31-August 6.

Sliders coach George Lynn, who has been coach of the program since 1995, has achieved amazing success. He is quick to point out that he didn’t do it all by himself. Lynn gives credit to Larry Decker, who started the team in 1991 and handed it over to him four years later.

Lynn, who is also the softball coach at Shadle Park High School, acknowledged the work of Steve Fountain, who has been with the team since the late-‘90s.

“Steve was a really big catalyst at getting our program where it needed to be,” said Lynn. “He is a big reason we’re able to compete at such a high level.”

Lynn said the success didn’t always come easy.

“It took me three or four years to figure out where we (Spokane) needed to be competition-wise,” he said. “We did that by watching other teams and how they play.”

Lynn also gives credit to Fuzzy Buckenberger, the ASA Commissioner in Spokane, for his strong support.

So what makes Lynn and the Sliders so successful?

“We have really high expectations for our players,” he said. “The girls know that they can be great if they strive for greatness.”

American Legion baseball

Adam Smith struck out five and gave up only four hits as the Spokane Bandits knocked off the Spokane Northstars 13-2 on June 26.

Niko Sotolongo added a two-run home run and Andy Greenslitt contributed three singles for the Bandits, who beat the Northstars 6-4 five days earlier.

•The Spokane Bandits and Pullman Patriots split a double-header Wednesday. In the first game, the Bandits used Andrew Kittredge’s one-hitter to beat the Patriots 11-1. Kittredge also had five strikeouts and Andy Greenslitt had three singles.

In the second game, a sacrifice fly by Kyle Kelly scored Marty Guettinger with two outs in the seventh to lift the Patriots to an 8-7 win over the Bandits.

With Pullman ahead 7-5 going into the seventh, the Bandits scored two runs to tie the game before Kelly’s RBI fly won the game for the Patriots in the bottom of the inning.

•Jared Ayers-Stamper hit a game-tying RBI double in the bottom of the seventh, and then later scored the winning run on a wild pitch, leading the Pullman Patriots to a 7-6 win over the Narrows Yankees on Friday.

Ayers-Stamper had three hits, including two doubles, as the Patriots came back from a 6-1 deficit to win the game. Tyler Young added two hits and scored two runs for the Patriots.

•Down by one going into the seventh, Medical Lake scored seven times to beat Whitman County 16-10 on Wednesday.

Josh Kissack had four hits and drove in four runs for Medical Lake, including a two-run home run in the seventh that put them up for good.

Nathan Johnson had a two-run home run for Whitman County in the second inning.

•The Spokane Bandits lost to the Lewis and Clark Twins 10-7 in the championship game of the Dwight Church Memorial Tournament in Lewiston on June 25.

Andy Greenslitt was 2 for 2 and scored two runs and Chad Burland allowed one run in four inning of relief, but the Twins scored seven runs in the second to put the game out of reach.

Casey Brett added two hits, one run and two RBIs for the Bandits.

Volleyball

Three players for three-time State 4A champion Mead will be among area athletes participating in the 21st All-State Volleyball Series.

Games for 1A/B, 3A/2A and 4A players will be played at Fife High School on July 13.

Representing the 4A Red team are Panthers graduates Amy Herron, Megan Thigpen and Nicole Solum.

The 1A/B Red team includes Freeman players Claire Moberg and Jesica Jackson, Sprague-Harrington’s Stacie Shields, Rosalia’s Clarissa Harston and Garfield-Palouse’s Dottie Kite.

Kenny Davis, from Freeman, is co-coach.

The All-State Volleyball Series bills itself the longest running Washington all-star game for senior female athletes. Times are 4 p.m. for the 1A/B game, 6 p.m. for the 2A/3A game and 8 p.m. for the 4A game.