Oakesdale, Pomeroy will host first SE playoff round

Oakesdale finished its run through the SE net league Tuesday with a sweep over Touchet to take the top slot in the SE playoffs which will start Oct. 30. The Nighthawks wrapped their campaign at 12-0 after pegging a five game win in a showdown at Pomeroy in the Thursday league round.

The SE playoff rounds start Tuesday at Oakesdale and Pomeroy, as the top two finishers.

Oakesdale will play Colton, the number four finisher, and Pomeroy will play SJEL, the number-three finisher.

The Eagles finished the league run at 7-5 and had a bye in the Tuesday action.

The SE playoff grid offers one berth to state and one more state chance via a decider game against an NE foe .

Winners of the Oct. 30 matches will play at Oakesdale Nov. 2 for that one state ticket. The first round losers will play an elimination game, and the survivor of that will play the loser of the title game for the last chance against the number-three team coming out the NE playoffs.

Oakesdale Tuesday downed Touchet 25-5, 25-7, 25-9 with Logan Reed hitting 17 kills and five aces. LouEllen Reed had 21 assists.

Colton Tuesday defeated Garfield/Palouse 25-15, 25-4, 25-13. Jordan Moehrle hit 12 kills against the visitors from Touchet Tuesday and Emily Schultheis had five digs, five aces and three blocks.

Rylee Vining put up 12 assists.

Colton will play its last league round at Prescott Thursday, but already figures to start the SE playoffs in fourth place.

In the showdown last Thursday, Oakesdale nipped the Pirates 15-13 in a fifth game decider on the Pirates court. The two teams tangled at 2-2 over the first four games, 16-25 25-17 25-18 and 20-25.

The five-game battle followed a format the two league leaders fought in the first league round.

Pomeroy’s lone defeats in the league are to Oakesdale which puts them in second place and hosting the other half of the SE start next Tuesday.