Spartans defeat Vikes in playoff; 2B deciders set at Walla Walla

TOR Spartans Tuesday defeated Garfield/Palouse 22-3 to remain in the hunt for one of the three regional berths which have been assigned to the SE for the baseball playoffs.

The win sends the Spartans to Borleske Field in Walla Walla Saturday where four SE contenders will play for the three slots. TOR will play Waitsburg/Prescott, a team they defeated twice Saturday at Rosalia.

The Cards advanced Tuesday with a 12-1 win over Liberty Christian in a playoff between the fourth and fifth-place league finishers.

Winner of the 10 a.m. game at Borleske will qualify for the regionals.

DeSales and Asotin, top two teams in the SE 2B division will play the second game. The loser will play the first-game survivor for seeding into the regional.

Number-one finisher will play the following week at Borleske, number two in Spokane and number three in Mossyrock.

In Tuesday’s elimination, the Spartans ripped 13 hits off the Vikings with six doubles and three homers. One of the blasts, by Peyton Boxleitner, was a grand slam.

Flash Hodges and DJ Brown had the other homers.

Brandon Hovde pitched the first three innings, and Flash Hodges finished.

The Vikings finished with five hits with Taylor Christopher tagging a triple and a homer. Blake Slocum had the start on the Vikes mound, and Christopher relieved him.

GARFIELD/PALOUSE Saturday hammered Dayton in a doubleheader, 14-4 and 15-8 on the Garfield field.

Christopher pitched a five hitter in the opener while the Viking offense hammered eight hits. Slocum tripled and Jesse Lopez booked two of the hits with a double.

The Vikings scored two in the first, but Dayton came back with two in the top of the fourth for a tie. The Vikes then ripped eight more runs over the next two innings.

Slocum allowed seven hits for the win in the second game. The Bulldogs also had five errors. Garrett Pfaff tripled, Lopez and Slocum doubled in the second game. Nate Cocking, Slocum and Christopher each had two hits.