Fastpitch sandwiches win in between two losses

CHENEY— The Blackhawks lost two of three games last week, falling 10–3 to Mead at home on April 26, beating Ferris 5–1 on the road on April 28, and losing an 18-8 contest to Mt. Spokane in Cheney on April 29.

The team sits at 8-6 in the league standings and is 8–8 overall, with four games left in regular season play.

“I think wee played one of our best games of the season against Ferris. We were batting on all cylinders and Maddie (McDowell) pitched one of her best games of the year,” Coach Gary Blake said. “Unfortunately, we a bad first inning against Mead and Mt. Spokane. We gave up a lot of free passes and walks and runs and when you have a big deficit early, it’s hard to come back—not so much in slow pitch—but very difficult in fastpitch.”

Blake said his team hit well against Mt. Spokane, pounding out 14 to the Wildcats’ 15, but couldn’t match them on the extra-base hits, which produced the bulk of their runs.

“They hit three home runs, five doubles and two triples,” Blake said. “We had one HR and a bunch of singles.”

Despite going 1-2 last week, the Blackhawks have clinched a berth in postseason play.

“We’ll most likely be the fourth or fifth seed going into the district tournament—heck would even have a chance to be the No. 1, 2 or 3 seed, but U-High, Mt. Spokane and Mead would have to lose there remaining games and we’d have to win all of our for that to happen,” Blake said. “That’s not very likely, so we’ll probably end of the fourth or fifth seed.”

Blake said U-High is the toughest matchup of the last four teams the Blackhawk will face and added the G-prep contest is a toss-up. He said if Cheney play’s its game, the girls should come away with wins over Ridgeline and North Central.

The Blackhawks traveled to U-High on Tuesday, May 3, but the game results were not available at press time. Cheney is at G-Prep on Thursday, May 5, and then hosts Ridgeline on May 6 and North Central on May 10.

The double-elimination district tournament starts on May 14. The matchups will be released when they are confirmed.