Mead baseball beats weather, GSL rivals

The unusually poor spring weather that has prevented area baseball teams from a consistent practice and play regimen, didn’t prevent Mead – without the high-profile pitching names of other league teams – from overcoming the odds and winning seven straight games during a 12-day period, including during last week’s spring break.

“It’s been nearly two weeks since we’ve had a normal practice outside,” said coach Jason Reich, via e-mail.

Victories have the Panthers tied for first place with favored University (both 7-1) heading into this week.

Mead was originally scheduled to play five in a row, including makeups, from March 24-28, and two other days during the break over a 10-day span. Inclement weather delayed three of those games. Instead of five in a row, it wound up being four in three days between April 2-4.

“I knew it could be more difficult than playing five in five days,” said Reich. “We did a great job on the mound and were able to get leads to allow us to pull one of our starters early enough to save him for Friday.”

During the previous week, the Panthers swept Mt. Spokane and beat Rogers. Last Wednesday they swept North Central in a doubleheader, salvaged a split in the season series with Central Valley on Thursday and completed a sweep of the Pirates on Friday.

Five pitchers took their turns during the dozen days. Chris Allen, the only pitcher with varsity experience to speak of, had two outings and one win. Tyler Thoreson made three trips to the mound – including back-to-back, with a two-hit shutout against the Bears and three innings against the Pirates – and won twice. Newcomer seniors Scott Birdwell, working in tandem twice with Jeff Kosoff, started twice and pitched in relief once. And Tyler Baldini worked twice in relief, picking up a win.

The team had 75 hits in seven wins. Robert Murphy hit safely in each for 11 total, Grant Fink had 11 hits in six games and Sean McNaghten a team-high 12 in five games. Seven others also had hits, two with eight.

So who needs practice or a routine?

“The weather was rough; never knowing what you were going to wake up to,” said Reich. “We believe we had a great two weeks, but are hopeful the weather will begin to turn and we can get into a period of normalcy.”

Be careful what you wish for.

Ferris is 7-3 following last week’s victory over the previously unbeaten Titans. CV (5-3) was shut out three straight games. Every other team has five losses or more and will be jockeying behind them.

Mt. Spokane at Gonzaga Prep and North Central at CV are games to watch.

Shootout sweep

Five Greater Spokane League players, led by game co-MVP DeAngelo Casto, had a hand as Washington swept Oregon in the 15th annual Northwest Shootout basketball series.

Casto scored 19 points, pulled down eight rebounds and blocked eight shots during the boys’ 108-105 comeback victory.The Oregonian’s Ian Ruder quoted Oregon assistant coach Nick Robertson in his story as saying, “the guy’s either gonna kill us or he’ll be a dog. It turned out he killed us.”

Ferris teammates Jared Karstetter scored nine points and had three steals, while Shawn Stockton had four points.

Washington’s boys trailed 67-48 3 minutes, 21 seconds into the second half, but rallied to lead 89-84 in part thanks to a 57-39 rebounding advantage, defense and hustle for loose balls according to various newspaper accounts.

Rainier Beach’s Reggie Moore led all scores with 23 points and had six assists to share MVP honors.

Victory followed the Washington girls’ 100-77 romp. In that game, Shadle Park’s Lexie Pedersen scored six points and Lewis and Clark’s Brittany Kennedy had four. Prairie’s Ashley Corral hit five 3-pointer and finished with 21 points to be named MVP.

The week ahead

There are several interesting GSL matchups of which to be aware when teams resume action following spring break.

Wednesday, soccer leaders Lewis and Clark and Ferris square off at 5 p.m. at Ferris.

Softball is almost starting anew after losing most of its March 27-28 games to weather and taking spring break off. League leader Shadle Park, with only four games completed, is at second-place Mead today and at once-beaten Central Valley on Friday.

Boys and girls tennis today pits contenders Mead against LC and Ferris against Gonzaga Prep.