The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
61°F
Current Conditions
Broken clouds
View complete weather report

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Mt. Spokane wins GSL baseball by four games following 2-0 win over Shadle Park

Mt. Spokane’s Michael Walker, right, is congratulated after scoring against Shadle Park on Monday in Wildcats’ 2-0 victory. (Tyler Tjomsland)
Mt. Spokane’s Michael Walker, right, is congratulated after scoring against Shadle Park on Monday in Wildcats’ 2-0 victory. (Tyler Tjomsland)Buy a print of this photo
By Thomas Clouse tomc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5495

Mt. Spokane shortstop Tyler Bailey broke open a pitchers’ duel in the top of the sixth inning Monday – on his 18th birthday – to spark a 2-0 win over Shadle Park.

The Wildcats finished the regular season as Greater Spokane League champions (16-2) by a margin of four games.

“It’s a pretty special feeling right now,” Mt. Spokane coach Alex Schuerman said. “It’s just a great group of guys. They don’t care who gets the credit. They just get it done.”

The win was the Wildcats’ fourth shutout victory and 11th game this season when the Mt. Spokane pitchers gave up two or fewer runs.

“Going into the season, I thought we had the right mix of guys,” Schuerman said. “We go six deep on the mound. We have had great pitching. That means we don’t have to score a lot of runs.”

Seemingly following that cue, the Highlanders’ Matt Keenan frustrated the Wildcats for five scoreless innings in which he struck out three.

But the Wildcats broke through when coach Ron Brooks brought Ryan Deffe in to pitch in the top of the sixth inning.

Mt. Spokane’s Jared Bell led off with a single to shallow center field and Michael Walker followed with a bunt single.

Bailey then singled to score Bell and Walker advanced to third. Cooper Smith then hit a grounder that started a crazy double run down in which Smith was called out but Walker found a way to score.

Kyle Shuey then singled to score Bailey, but the umpire ruled that Bailey missed third base and called him out.

“I thought my foot nicked” the bag,” said Bailey, the birthday boy, “but I guess I missed it.”

However, the strange play took nothing away from the day in which Smith, Cody Benefiel and Braden Mau combined for a three-hit shutout of Shadle.

“We’ve had a lot of close games,” Brooks said. “But it would be nice to be on the other end of some of them. The nice thing is you always get to play another day.”

Shadle Park (9-9 GSL) will play Rogers at 2 p.m. Friday at Whitworth University in the 3A District playoffs. Mt. Spokane will play the winner.

With the win Monday, Mt. Spokane has won 12 in a row since losing 7-6 to Gonzaga Prep on April 2.

“I’m really, really pleased to win the league going away,” Schuerman said. “We’ve played good baseball more than we have been lucky.”