Mid-Columbia roundup: Kennewick sweeps Kamiakin in MCC 3A showdown

BASEBALL

KENNEWICK 11-9, KAMIAKIN 9-6: The Lions went on the road and bolstered their spot as the No. 2 Class 3A team in the MCC by sweeping their cross-town rival.

Kennewick (9-7, 5-5) tied the score in the first game at 7-all by scoring six runs in the top of the fifth, then took an 11-7 lead in the sixth. Kamiakin (7-8, 3-7) pushed across two runs in the bottom of the seventh, which forced Kennewick coach Lenny Ayers to bring in Trent Sellers from the bullpen with two on and one out.

Sellers walked the first man he faced to load the bases, but came back to strike out Chase Grillo — who finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBIs — and force Nate Gee to fly out to pick up the save.

In the second game, Talon Lafontaine smoked a two-out, two-run single to cap Kennewick’s four-run fourth inning that gave the Lions a 7-4 lead and spurred them to the sweep.

HANFORD 6-10, RICHLAND 5-0: Shane Martin tossed a six-hit shutout, and Carston Manderbach, Brad Poletski and Desmond Samples each drove in a pair of runs to spark the Falcons in the second game of an MCC doubleheader at Waits Field.

Hanford scored all of its runs in the bottom of the fifth in the opener. Joey Duberstein hit an RBI single, two runs scored on Manderbach’s liner to right and another on Poletski’s single to center.

Kevin Augustine went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs for the Bombers in the second game. Brady White had four hits on the day for Hanford.

SOUTHRIDGE 6-14, CHIAWANA 4-0: Mason Martin threw four innings of one-hit ball and the Suns got offense from up and down the lineup to complete an MCC sweep of the host Riverhawks.

Jake Harvey and Casey Proctor each had a pair of hits for Southridge, the cap on a five-hit day for Proctor.

Tyson Daniels got the win for Southridge in the first game, giving up three runs on six hits over five innings, then Mason Perez picked up the six-out save. Nick Grade also had three hits in the contest.

WALLA WALLA 6-4, PASCO 0-1: Pitching ruled the day for the visiting Blue Devils, as Nickolas Zehner and Mitch Lesmeister each deliered a dominant performace to lead Walla Walla to an MCC doubleheader sweep.

Nickolas Zehner threw a complete game, four-hit shutout in the first game, and Carter Davis went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs.

Lesmeister threw six shutout innings in the second game and gave up just two hits, which was enough to outduel Trevor Crawford, who scattered 10 hits over six innings of four-run ball.

TRI-CITIES PREP 18-17, WHITE SWAN 1-0: Trent Mercado went 5-for-7 on the day and threw an inning of the Jaguars’ combined no-hitter in the second game to help Tri-Cities Prep sweep the Cougars in an EWAC doubleheader.

Logan Mercado went 3-for-4 with a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the first game and also pitched two scoreless innings. Landon Amato also had a three-hit game (3-for-3, 2b, 3RBI, 2R), and Trent Mercado (2-for-3, 2R, 2RBI, 2SB) and Owen Ritala (2-for-4, 4RBI, 2R) swung hot bats as well.

Carter Ritala, Max Nelson and Trent Mercado combined to no-hit White Swan in the second game while striking out 13 Cougars in the five-inning contest. Nelson also went 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple, four RBIs and two runs scored.

SOFTBALL

KAMIAKIN 5-8, SOUTHRIDGE 3-4: The Suns played what coach Eric Weisberger said were two of their best games of the season, but the host Braves pulled out a pair of wins that weren’t short on drama to get the sweep in MCC play.

Lynsie Miracle laced a one-out, two RBI single in the bottom of the seventh in the first game to lift Kamiakin to a walk-off win. Andria Skeels pitched a complete game, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out nine, to get the win.

Mya Moore pitched 6+ innings for Kamiakin in the second game and drove in four runs at the plate. She started the seventh inning with an 8-1 lead, but got tagged with three more runs without getting an out. Skeels came in and immediately got a strikeout and a double play to end it.

RICHLAND 16-20, PASCO 1-1: Miranda Camacho pounded out five hits and drove in six runs on the day and the host Bombers swept the Bulldogs in an MCC doubleheader.

Kaylie Northrop allowed just one hit and one run in the mercy-rule shortened first game while driving in three runs on offense.

Brandi Andrews smacked a 3-run homer in the second game, and Amanda Brown pitched all five innings for Richland and gave up one run on four hits.

HANFORD 15-7, KENNEWICK 3-3: Morgan Plumbtree had five hits and five RBIs on the day and went the distance in the circle in the second game to help the host Falcons to a doubleheader sweep over the Lions in MCC action.

In the first game, Annie Polster went the distance for Hanford and didn’t give up an earned run. Leadoff hitter Ashley Stewart led the Falcons at the plate by going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Big performances at the plate by Reilyn Davis and Aspen Hatch kept Kennewick hanging around in the second game, but Hanford pitcher Morgan Plumbtree eventually shut down the Lions, allowing just one earned run on four hits in her complete game.

WALLA WALLA 9-0, CHIAWANA 3-4: Mailie Bishop threw a one-hitter as the Riverhawks handed the visiting Blue Devils their first MCC loss.

Bishop also doubled in a run, and Annalisa McKinney went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs for Chiawana.

Lauren Hoe doubled twice and drove in three runs for Walla Walla in the first game, and Kamryn Coleman gave up just one earned run and struck out 14 in her complete-game performance to pick up the win. Coleman also threw three scoreless innings in the second game.

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 27-21, MABTON 4-2: Katie Steele hit safely in all nine of her at-bats and drove in 11 runs to lead the host Patriots to a sweep of the Vikings in an EWAC doubleheader.

The top of the order shined for Liberty Christian in the first game as its first five batters combined to go 19-for-22 and drive in 19 runs. Steele went 5-for-5 with three doubles, six RBIs and three runs scored, and Natalie Barber gave up three earned runs on three hits and struck out five in her five-inning complete game.

Abigail Croskey shut Mabton down in the second game, allowing one earned run on five hits, and seven of the Patriots’ 18 hits went for extra bases.

SOCCER

KENNEWICK 2, KAMIAKIN 0: Eddie Castillo had a goal and assisted on Edgar Rodriguez’s score, Xander Flannery made four saves to get the shutout, and the Lions rolled to an MCC win at Lampson Stadium.

PASCO 2, WALLA WALLA 1 (SO): The Bulldogs outshot the Blue Devils 19-5 in regulation and overtime, but barely pulled out a 5-4 advantage in the shootout to claim a hard-fought MCC win.

Edwin Aquino scored in regulation for Pasco, while Luiz Perez notched Wa-Hi’s goal.

GOLF

ELEEN NORTHCUTT INVITATIONAL: Alexa Clark blew the field away with a 4-under 67 to lead Kamiakin to a second-place finish at the 19-team event at Wandermere Golf Course in Spokane.

Her closest competitor was Macy Robertson, who shot a 76 to lead Richland to the team title. Breanna Watts (82) and Hannah Oldson (90) also played well for the Bombers.

Allison Wanichek fired an 84 for Walla Walla, which tied for fourth with Gonzaga Prep.

This story was originally published April 21, 2017 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Mid-Columbia roundup: Kennewick sweeps Kamiakin in MCC 3A showdown."