Empire's best gather for all-star softball, basketball contests

The inaugural Kiwanis high school all-star softball game on Saturday at Santa Rosa Junior College didn't lack for drama as the contest went eight innings before the North Bay League defeated the Sonoma County League, 5-1.

In the top of the extra inning, Rancho Cotate's Katie Rohrer knocked in what proved to be the winning run with a triple down the right field line that scored Ukiah's Mykala Ramsey.

Ramsey's hit was the first of four straight for the NBL squad. Following the triple by Rohrer, Ukiah's Kayla Pardini and Cardinal Newman's Lexie Raasch both singled.

Rohrer, who batted .535 during the season, hit the first pitch she saw from Analy's Saja Spearman-Weaver.

“Her first pitch was usually right over the plate and I was ready when I stepped in the batter's box,” the left-handed Rohrer said. “I was able to pull it and hit a line drive.”

Spearman-Weaver pitched the first four innings and then Cloverdale's Teanne Edens came on for 31/3 innings before Spearman-Weaver returned. Staked to a lead, Raasch shut down the SCL in the bottom of the eighth. Raasch pitched a complete game and struck out eight while allowing five hits and walking one.

“My curveball and rise ball were my go to pitches,” she said.

Raasch, who will pitch for Southern Oregon University next season. finished her senior year with a 15-9 record and 1.48 ERA.

The only run she allowed in the all-star game came in the sixth inning when Analy's Mackenzie Evangelesti tripled and then scored on a single to center field by Savanna Craighead from Healdsburg.

Ramsey scored the first NBL run in the top of the sixth. After reaching base with a single, she later scored on a passed ball.

Raasch hopes the all-star game becomes a tradition.

“All the players had a great time,” she said. “It was fun playing with all the girls I played against for four years.”

Petaluma's Kurt Jastrow, one of the organizers and co-coach for the SCL, said the idea has been well-received.

“It looks like it'll become an annual thing,” he said. “It's going to hold. The game was well-played and everyone had fun.”

All-star basketball

Cloverdale's Marcus Poe scored 26 and Technology's Himansu Singh contributed 20 as the South boys team defeated the North, 79-70, in the Redwood Empire All-Star Basketball Games Saturday night at Rincon Valley Christian School. In the girls game, the North squad overcame a 30-point effort by Middletown's Ashlyn Welton to beat the South, 49-42.

Welton, the All-Empire Player of the Year for small schools, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Cloverdale's Teanne Edens led the North with 14 points and also scoring in double figures were St. Vincent's Olivia DeGraca (12) and Sonoma Valley's Jenny Eggers (11).

The North led 26-15 at halftime and stretched the advantage to 40-24 going to the fourth quarter.

In the boys game, the South led 36-31 at halftime. Poe scored 20 of his points after intermission to keep his team in front.

Singh drilled six 3-point shots. Leading the North attack with 23 points was Lower Lake's Jerod Alexander.

Also in double figures for the North were Kelseyville's Nick Pfann (17) and St. Vincent's Michael Awad (13).