Islanders win Papio-South Tournament championship

PAPILLION Slade Bolles' RBI single in the sixth inning gave Grand Island's baseball team the lead for good as the Islanders downed Class A No. 2-rated Papillion-LaVista South 6-5 Saturday in the championship game of the Papillion-LaVista South Tournament.

The Islanders (6-7) got off to a good start when Nate Zook hit a 3-run homer in the top of the first inning.

"Nate got us off to a 3-run lead," Grand Island coach Rick Kissack said. "Slade had a go-ahead single in the sixth after a great bunt single by Kirby Wells to load the bases."

The Islanders held a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, but three straight errors left them facing runners on second and third with no outs.

Pitcher Eric Schwieger, seeing his first action of the season after having shoulder surgery, intentionally walked the bases loaded. He followed with a strikeout before a putout at home. A ground out to second ended the game.

Schwieger pitched three innings in relief of starter Kash Kalkowski to get the win.

Grand Island opened the tournament with a 15-6 victory over Beatrice. Zook provided the big blow of the game with a grand slam in a seven-run third inning.

Kissack said Zook's drive to deep centerfield was almost caught by the centerfielder, but he crashed into the fence and the ball came out of his glove and landed on the other side.

Bolles, who was a perfect 2-for-2 with three walks and three RBIs, had a 2-run homer in the fourth inning.

Beatrice 000 1405 6 1

Grand Island 037 20315 13 2

2B B: Coleman, Rivers. GI: Bolles, Kalkowski, Griffin. HR GI: Bolles, Zook. WP Wells (2-2). LP Rivers.

Championship Game

Grand Island (6-7) 301 002 06 11 6

PLV-South (11-1) 010 030 15 6 0

2B HR GI: Zook. PLS: Wehrle. WP Schwieger (1-0). LP Wehrle.

* Track

GINW boys win Aurora Invitational

AURORA Devin Johnson won four individual events to lead the Grand Island Northwest boys to the team title Saturday at the Aurora Invitational.

Johnson won the long jump (21 feet, 8 inches), the 100-meter dash (11.2 seconds), the 200 (22.5) and the 400 (51.8).

Northwest scored 143.5 points to outdistance second-place Lexington with 114.

The Vikings also got wins from Hadley Cooksley in the shot put (53-7 1/2) and the 400 relay team (45.1).

Grand Island Central Catholic finished sixth with 42 points.

Beatrice won the girls title with 133 points.

Northwest finished fourth with 71 points.

The Vikings swept all three places in the pole vault with Christi Anderson taking first (10-8), Amber Riedy second (10-2) and Megan Pattison third (10-2).

Northwest also got wins from Taylor Johnson in the triple jump (34-11) and Julie Stoltenberg in the 100 (12.9).

Central Catholic finished sixth with 43 points.

GICC's Tali Fredrickson won the 100 hurdles (15.9).

* girls tennis

Crusaders finish fifth at Ralston Invitational

RALSTON Grand Island Central Catholic's girls tennis team took fifth place Saturday at the Ralston Invitational.

The Crusaders finished with 20 points, behind Omaha Duchesne with 40 points, Omaha Skutt 38, Beatrice 29 and Elkhorn 23 in the 16-team tournament.

"We got to see a lot of teams we don't normally see," GICC coach Matt Westfall said. "What I saw today is our girls have as much or more talent and ability compared to anyone else out there. It's just them playing up to their potential and taking the games we see in practice onto the courts."

GICC junior Hannah Bolton went 2-2 to finish fourth at No. 1 singles out of 16 players.

"Hannah played really well," Westfall said. "She's new to singles. She was on the same level as almost every player there which was encouraging to see."

The No. 1 doubles team of Jessica Bender and Jessica Wojcik also went 2-2 to finish fourth. Both losses were in three sets.

"They could have easily been 3-1 or 4-0 and been first or second," Westfall said. "They played very well."

Nicole Jacobson went 1-1 in her first extended play at No. 2 singles. Ashley Chalupa and Kiran Hamik were also 1-1 at No. 2 doubles.