Friday, May. 15, 2009

CBBN district baseball playoffs resume today

By Kevin Anthony, Herald staff writer

If Columbia Basin Big Nine 4A baseball fans start feeling a little deja vu next weekend, here's a plausible explanation.

It's entirely possible that the same three teams that survive Saturday's district play at Richland will be right back at Bomber Field the following weekend, fighting among themselves for a trip to Safeco Field and the state final four.

But first comes today's important games at Southridge and Richland.

The Suns host a loser-out game between Columbia No. 3 Moses Lake (14-7) and Cascade No. 2 Kamiakin (12-8) at 1 p.m. The winner takes on Southridge (17-4), the Columbia top seed, at 4 p.m.

At Richland, the top-ranked and Cascade No. 1 Bombers (18-2) await the winner of Columbia No. 2 Kennewick (15-7) and Cascade No. 3 Eastmont (12-8). Both games are also at 1 and 4 p.m.

On Saturday, all the action moves to Richland, with the loser of today's afternoon games playing at 10 a.m. in a loser-out game. The winners of today's 4 p.m. games will square off for the district title at 1 p.m. The loser of that game plays the winner of Saturday morning's game at 1 p.m. for the second and third seeds to regionals.

Hanford, meanwhile, will be in Spokane today and Saturday in the 3A regionals at Shadle Park. The Falcons (13-10) play Mount Spokane at 7:30 p.m., following the Rogers-West Valley (Yakima) matchup.

The winners play for the regional title and No. 1 seed to state at 10 a.m. Saturday. The losers play for a berth into an afternoon game with the championship loser, with the region's second berth to state on the line.

The CWAC district is in Ephrata with one final 2A state berth at stake and four teams on the prowl. Othello and top-ranked Selah already have their state tickets punched and will play for the district title at 7 p.m.

Today is a busy day in the SCAC, with Kiona-Benton playing at Zillah and Goldendale at Cle Elum in a pair of loser-out games. Connell is at Naches Valley and Columbia (Burbank) visits River View in winner-to-state games. All games are at 4 p.m.

Saturday's action moves to Parker Field in Yakima, with the district's four state berths decided at 4 and 7 p.m.