Mid-Col roundup: Richland, Wa-Hi split MCC softball pair
Richland, Wa-Hi split softball twinbill
With a pair of Mid-Columbia Conference softball powers squaring off in a battle of league unbeatens Monday, something was bound to give.
Turns out, the only thing that gave way was hope for some breathing room in the MCC 4A standings.
Stephanie Merwin went 3-for-4, drove in three runs and scored two more to lead the Richland Bombers to a 7-3 win at Walla Walla.
The Blue Devils responded with a 12-4 win in the nightcap. The top of the order was torrid, with Lauren Hoe, Kamryn Coleman and Brandi Schoessler combining to go 9-for-12 with eight RBIs and seven runs scored. Coleman had a triple, while Schoessler had a double and a homer.
The split leaves Richland (11-2-1, 6-1 MCC) and Walla Walla (12-2, 7-1) tied atop the MCC standings, with Chiawana (9-5, 6-2) a game back.
Richland | 200 | 013 | 1 | — | 7 | 14 | 0 |
Walla Walla | 011 | 001 | 0 | — | 3 | 8 | 1 |
Highlights: Brandi Andrews (R) 7IP-8H-3R-2K-5BB, 2x4, 2B, 2 RBI; Stephanie Merwin (R) 3x4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2R; Miranda Camacho (R) 3x3, 2B; Adie Luchi (R) 2x4, 2B; Faith Hoe (WW) 3x3, 3B; Josie Sweet (WW) 2x3.
Richland | 220 | 000 | 0 | — | 4 | 9 | 1 |
Walla Walla | 154 | 110 | x | — | 12 | 14 | 1 |
Highlights: Kelsea Hinkley (R) 2x3; Paige Liikala (R) 3x3, 2B; Merwin (R) 2B; Lauren Hoe (WW) 3x4, 2B, 3R; Kamryn Coleman (WW) 3x4, 3B, 4 RBI, 3R; Brandi Schoessler (WW) 3x4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI; F. Hoe (WW) 2 RBI; EWmma Sweet (WW) 2x3.
Track and field
Seattle Pacific’s Kyra Brannan (Kamiakin) was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
Brannan became the first GNAC woman to exceed 19 feet in the long jump, hitting 19 feet, 1 1/2 inches to win the event at the Spike Arlt Invitational. She also had personal bests in the 100 (12.18 seconds) and 200 meters (25.21).
Softball
Western Washington sophomore first baseman Emily Benson (Kamiakin) was a unanimous selection to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball first team.
Benson finished second in the conference and set a team record with 12 home runs to go with her 45 RBIs. She hit .342 and with 15 walks and just 16 strikeouts in 152 at-bats.
Golf
Richland’s Danika Palm has committed to play collegiately at the University of Idaho.
Palm as consistently been one of the top shooters in the Mid-Columbia Conference this season after placing in the top 15 in the Class 4A state tournament last year.
This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 9:01 PM with the headline "Mid-Col roundup: Richland, Wa-Hi split MCC softball pair."