New Dust Devils manager + CBC’s NWAC finish + Tri-City grad’s 1st pro goal
The Columbia Basin College women’s basketball team finished third for the second consecutive year in the Northwest Athletic Conference championship tournament.
The tournament, which ended Sunday, was at CBC’s Pasco campus.
Hawks head coach Amy Sokaitis led her team to a 25-3 record, falling Saturday to eventual champion Lane by a 71-59 score.
Freshman Aniyah Heavens, who prepped at Chiawana, came off of the bench for CBC to score 15 points and grab 9 rebounds.
Sophomore Erin Morgan added 14 points and 9 boards for the Hawks.
CBC entered the fourth quarter with a 50-46 lead. But the Titans — led by Emma McDonald’s 15 fourth-quarter points — outscored the Hawks 25-9 in the final period to win the game.
McDonald finished with 22 points, while Micah Wilks led Lane with 26 points, and Brook Stookey finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
“It was a good run,” said Sokaitis. “I told (her players) after the game I was proud of them.
Expect a number of CBC sophomores to play at four-year schools next season.
Trinidie Nichols, Lexie Heath, Kenzi Pedersen, Morgan, Mikayla Robertson and possibly a few more should get offers.
This group was special. As freshmen, these players helped lead CBC last season to a 22-6 record. So in their two seasons, these Hawks were a combined 45-9.
“Our sophomores built this,” said Sokaitis.
Lane went on to beat Umpqua 62-49 on Sunday to win the women’s title. Wicks finished with 25 points, while Chloe Daniels added 20 points and 11 rebounds. Brooklyn Fely led Umpqua with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
Umpqua also knocked Walla Walla Community College out of the tournament in the semifinals on Saturday, by a score of 57-52. Fely had 28 points and 14 rebounds. Brielle Magnuson paced WWCC with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Green River outscored Tacoma 14-6 in overtime to win the men’s championship on Sunday. Jaiden Feroah had a monster game for the Gators, scoring 17 points, grabbing 23 rebounds, blocking 5 shots, and getting 4 steals. Kameron Bender added 15 points for Tacoma. To get to the finals, Green River stopped Portland 71-52 in one semifinal on Saturday; while Tacoma beat Skagit Valley 79-77 in OT in the other semifinal.
Freshman Maggie Sharp (Stanfield) was a team leader for the 12-16 Treasure Valley Community College women’s basketball team this season. Sharp averaged 6.4 points for the Chukars, and she was second on the team in assists (3.0) and steals (1.7). Sharp was also second on the squad with 5.1 rebounds.
Tri-City Dust Devils
Willie Romero will be the new manager of the Tri-City Dust Devils this season.
Romero, 49 and a native of Venezuela, spent last season as hitting coach for Class A Inland Empire.
The Dust Devils — an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels — will also have a new pitching coach in Ron Villone, who spent the previous 12 seasons coaching in the Chicago Cubs’ organization.
Villone also pitched for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball.
Former 8-year major leaguer Hiram Bocachica will be Tri-City’s new hitting coach, while 2023 Dust Devils’ bench and infield coach Trevor Nyp returns for another season.
The 2024 Northwest League is almost here, as the Dust Devils open the season on the road April 5-7 in Eugene.
The team’s home opener is April 9 against the Spokane Indians.
Pro soccer
Chiawana grad Summer Yates opened her second season with the National Women’s Soccer League’s Orlando Pride last weekend with her first professional goal of her career.
Yates, a forward, was a substitute for the Pride, coming in on the 72nd minute and Orlando playing with just 10.
Host Racing Louisville led 2-1 in the match, the NWSL season opener for both teams.
But Yates found and opening on a free kick, touching the ball in front of the goalie to redirect the ball’s direction. It went by the keeper and into the net in the 86th minute, giving the Pride a 2-2 tie.
Orlando’s home opener is Friday, March 22, against Angel City FC.
College softball
Richland grad Kaylie Northrop is having a heck of a season pitching for Appalachian State University.
The senior has a 7-3 record with a 2.85 earned run average for the Mountaineers, who are 15-10 as of March 17.
The lefty has already thrown a no-hitter this season, beating North Carolina Central 13-0 in five innings in which just one base runner reached base on a walk. It was Appy State’s fourth no-no in school history.
At his point, Northrop is just one strikeout away from having 200 in her career. That includes 9 she had as a freshman while pitching for UNLV.
Northrop will graduate this spring with a degree in Communications and Marketing.
NWAC sports
Here’s a short list of athletes with Mid-Columbia connections who have earned a weekly NWAC competitive athlete of the week award recently:
Joelie Eder, a Kamiakin grad playing for Lower Columbia Community College’s softball team in Longview. Eder, an outfielder, earned the award on Feb. 21 after batting .600 (6 for 10) as the Red Devils went 3-1 in their opening weekend.
CBC freshman softball outfielder Raquel Palmeira (Kahului, Hawaii) helped the Hawks go 4-0 to win the award for Feb. 28. Palmeira went 7-for-10 at the plate, with three home runs, eight RBIs, and five runs.
CBC left-handed freshman pitcher Jake Robinson (Boise, Idaho) picked up a win against Southwestern Oregon to earn the baseball pitcher award on Feb. 28. Robinson, at that point, had not allowed a run in 12 innings this season, with 18 strikeouts.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
