Chiawana soccer loses at state. CBC softball, baseball teams begin postseason play
The Columbia Basin College softball and baseball teams begin postseason play this week, with the Hawks softball team in the NWAC championships in Portland, and the CBC baseball team hosting a super regional on Friday and Saturday on campus.
Fifth-year CBC softball coach Montessa Califano leads her Hawks into Portland’s Delta Park with a 10 a.m. opening-round game on Thursday. CBC, seeded No. 7 in the 16-team tournament, will play No. 10 Everett.
The tournament is a double-elimination format.
Six of the nine NWAC East teams qualified for the tournament: North Idaho, Walla Walla, CBC, Treasure Valley, Spokane and Wenatchee Valley.
Walla Walla also opens play at 10 a.m. Thursday. The No. 6 Warriors will take on No. 11 Edmonds.
Meanwhile, Stefan McGovern’s CBC baseball team finished second in the NWAC East standings, giving the Hawks the right to host one of the four super regionals.
At noon Friday, Skagit Valley plays Pierce in a loser-out contest. The winner advances to play CBC at 4:30 p.m. in what will be the first of a best-of-3 series.
At noon Saturday, those two teams meet again. If a third game is necessary, it will be played at 3 p.m.
The winner of the super regional qualifies for the NWAC finals tournament, set for May 25-29 in Longview.
Only the first-place finishers of each of the four NWAC regions have automatically qualified for the finals already. Spokane is the East region champ.
More NWAC softball
Here are the final standings from the NWAC East region, which ended conference play last Saturday:
North Idaho 28-4 East, 36-9 overall
Walla Walla 27-5, 37-9
CBC 23-9, 33-13
Treasure Valley 21-11, 23-23
Spokane 14-18, 18-22
Wenatchee Valley 13-19, 20-24
Yakima Valley 9-23, 13-27
Blue Mountain 6-26, 9-36-1
Big Bend 3-29, 3-33
▪ CBC and Walla Walla both had some big-time players this season.
For the Hawks, Ashlynn Nixon (Montana) and Madi Olson (Moses Lake) were constant threats at the plate.
Nixon led the entire NWAC with 23 home runs this season, and she was No. 5 in RBIs with 78.
Olson ranked second in the NWAC with 86 RBIs, was third in batting average at .536, and fourth in homers with 19.
CBC pitcher Macao Jackson (Montana) was No. 1 in the NWAC in wins with 20, and she was fourth in strikeouts with 114.WWCC’s Rylie Bennett was among the NWAC’s offensive leaders. She was second in batting average at .566, and third in stolen bases at 37.
▪ The top-seeded team in the NWAC tournament is Bellevue College, which boasts a 37-2 record.
One of the team’s leaders is former Kamiakin outfielder Isabella Qunell, who is batting .345, has 6 home runs and 26 RBIs, and has stolen 16 bases.
More NWAC baseball
Spokane ended up winning the NWAC East title, as the regular season ended last Saturday.
Here are the final NWAC East standings:
Spokane 23-5 East, 30-16 overall
CBC 19-9, 32-18
Walla Walla 14-14, 20-20
Big Bend 13-15, 21-25
Wenatchee Valley 13-15, 23-27
Yakima Valley 13-15, 19-31
Blue Mountain 9-19, 19-27
Treasure Valley 8-20, 13-33
▪ Walla Walla opens Super regional play on Friday in Albany, Ore. The Warriors will play Everett at noon in a loser-out contest.
The winner will take on Lane in a best-of-3 playoff series.
▪ One thing the CBC baseball team did this season was hit the ball.
Three of the NWAC’s top five batters were Hawks.
Steven Meier (Southridge) hit .404 — the only player to finish over .400 at the plate — to lead the entire NWAC. Gaven Mattson (Kennewick) was third at .351, while Brooks Rasmussen (Meridian, Idaho) was fifth at .347.
But wait, that’s not all.
CBC’s Hayden Matray (Glacier Peak) led the NWAC in RBIs with 48.
Meier and Rasmussen gave the Hawks some speed, as both players were tied for fourth in stolen bases with 25 each.
Pitching-wise, CBC’s ace, Cameron Soliz (Texas) led the NWAC with 97 strikeouts. He was second in wins with 9.
Walla Walla’s Logan Meyer (Montana) was tied for fourth among all hitters in home runs, with 6.
Boys soccer
Chiawana saw its season end Wednesday night in the 4A boys soccer Washington state tournament, as the Riverhawks fell 3-1 to host Skyline.
Junior Humberto Cervantes scored for Chiawana in the first half, off of a free kick.
That tied the game at 1-1.
But Skyline scored two second-half goals to put the game away.
Chiawana, which placed second in the Mid-Columbia Conference standings this spring, finishes with a 16-5 record.
Prep baseball
Below is a quick reminder of opening games for all 11 Mid-Columbia teams on Saturday in their respective state tournaments.
Some host sites have changed game times, so be aware. This is the latest information as of Wednesday night.
Kennewick will play No. 16 Eastside Catholic on Saturday. Eastside Catholic beat Kelso 4-3 on Tuesday night.
4A: Game 2, (14) Mt. Si at (3) Richland, 1 p.m.
4A: Game 4, (15) Hanford vs. (2) Puyallup, Heritage Park, Puyallup, 1 p.m.
4A: Game 7, (9) Camas vs. (8) Kamiakin, Eastlake High School, 1 p.m.
3A: Game 5, (11) Southridge vs. (6) Edmonds-Woodway, SW Athletic Complex, Seattle, 1 p.m.
3A: Game 12, (16) Eastside Catholic vs. (1) Kennewick, Roy Johnson Field, Kennewick, 10 a.m.
1A: Game 6, (13) College Place vs. (4) Montesano, Olympic Stadium, Hoquiam, 1 p.m.
2B: Game 3, (12) Tonasket vs. (5) River View, Davis High School, Yakima, 12 p.m.
2B: Game 7, winner game 3 vs. (4) Tri-Cities Prep, Davis High School, Yakima, after Game 3.
1B: Game 1, (11) Riverside Christian vs. (6) Sunnyside Christian, Mount Vernon High School, 12 p.m.
1B: Game 6, (10) Orcas Island-(7) Mossyrock winner vs. (2) Liberty Christian, LaPierre Field, Kennewick, 3 p.m.
1B: Game 8, (9) Wilbur-Creston-Keller-(8) Northport winner at (1) DeSalesp.m.
Prep track and field
▪ Last week’s 1A East sub-district meet at Royal was swept by the Connell boys and girls teams, with the Eagles girls rolling up 134.2 points. Connell boys had 101 points.
Connell’s Chase Nielson won two individual events: the 200 meters and the triple jump.
The senior’s triple jump mark of 41 feet, 11 inches, is No. 1 among all Class 1A competitors in the state.
Nielson also ran a leg in the winning 4x100 Eagles relay team.
Two College Place standouts also won two events.
Jio Herrera won both the 1600 and 3200 meter races; while Aiden Wolpert was a winner in both the 100 and 400 meters.
On the girls side, Royal’s Ivy Delay won both the 100 and 200 meter finals, and she ran a leg on the Knights’ winning 4x100 relay team.
Other standout performances included Connell’s Brandy Ferguson, winning both hurdle events; College Place’s Mya Adams, taking titles in the high jump and long jump; Connell’s Morgan Jenks, winning the 800, as well as running legs on the winning 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams; and Emilee Van Buren of Connell, who won the 400 meters final, and she ran legs on those two winning Eagles relay teams.
All qualifiers will compete in the SCAC district meet at College Place, starting at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
