[Vision2020] Moscow 'Represents' North

[Tom Hansen]

>From the Sports section of today's (May 19, 2007) Spokesman Review -

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Moscow 'represents' north 
Mike Saunders 
Correspondent
May 19, 2007

The Moscow Bears came into the State 4A softball tournament Thursday as the
lone standard-bearer for the north.

That red-and-black flag was still flying Friday as Moscow shook off a 7-1
morning loss to two-time defending state champion Bishop Kelly and then
twice staved off elimination in a thrilling 8-6 win over Burley in eight
innings before an 11-4 evening rout of Emmett at Ramsey Fields in Coeur
d'Alene.

The Bears (20-10) meet Mountain Home (20-9) this morning at 10, the loser
taking third place and the winner earning the daunting task of beating BK
twice for the championship. The Knights (27-3) got 16 strikeouts from ace
Britney Croner in an 8-2 win over Mountain Home to earn their spot in the
title game. 
 
In other second-day action, Mountain Home topped Emmett 10-0 in five
innings, Burley eliminated Blackfoot 8-4 and Jerome sent Pocatello packing
4-3. Emmett later ousted Jerome 3-1 before earning fourth place in the loss
to Moscow.

"It's great to be representing the north like this, because every other team
is from the south," Moscow coach Jessica Shawley said. "It's like, 'Hey,
we're in this, we're third place or better and we're in the finals.'

"Our school motto is "Moscow, Pride of the North," so I like to think we're
living up to that. These girls really want it, and I hope that's what people
saw from us today."

The Bears managed just three singles and fanned 14 times - a tournament low
- against Croner, who has averaged 15 strikeouts in BK's three tourney
victories.

Call that loss a warm-up, as Moscow's bats came alive for 16 hits in the win
over Burley and 15 more against Emmett.

Against Burley, none of the hits was bigger than that of junior catcher
Nancy Charles.

With two on and two out in the top of the eighth, Charles delivered a
ringing double to right-center field and then held on in the bottom half for
the win. Charles finished with four hits and three RBIs and teammate Gentry
Beck added four hits of her own to lead the Bears.

In the Emmett game, Moscow found itself in a familiar position - down early,
3-1 after two. But the floodgates opened in the third as the Bears belted
six hits and took advantage of four free passes issued by starter Jessica
Logan to score eight runs in the frame and never look back.

Moscow lefty ace Sarah Hawley, who has pitched 25 of 29 innings because of
in large part to the illness of backup freshman Brigitte Lowe.

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Seeya round town, Moscow, and . . .

G O   B E A R S ! ! !

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"I think one of the best ways to support education is to make successful
private schools like Logos prosper through tax exemption."

- Donovan Arnold (July 11, 2005)