SPORTS BRIEFS: Jackson grad called up by Chicago White Sox

Jackson High School graduate Brent Lillibridge has been called up by the Chicago White Sox. Chicago put third baseman Mark Teahen on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right finger.

Lillibridge, was hitting .270 with four home rusn and 16 RBI for Class AAA Charlotte. The infielder also had 19 stolen bases.

WIAA recognizes academic champions

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announced its Academic State Champions for spring sports on May 6 and these local teams earned top honors:

Class 4A: Edmonds-Woodway baseball (3.562 grade-point average; coach: Dan Somoza);

Class 2A: Archbishop Murphy boys golf (3.635 GPA; coach: Jack Serwold); Archbishop Murphy softball (3.762 GPA; coach: Stephanie Arland);

Class 1A: King’s boys track and field (3.632 GPA; coach: Daunte Gouge); King’s girls golf (3.742 GPA; coach: Gerry Lumansoc); King’s girls track and field (3.769 GPA; coach: Daunte Gouge)

Class 1B: North Sound Christian girls track and field (3.820 GPA; coach: Roger Gray)

Check out the complete WIAA spring academic state champions list at http://tinyurl.com/2elfw3p.

E-W’s Lowe headed to MIT to play baseball

Edmonds-Woodway senior Brandon Lowe will continue his baseball career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. in the fall. Lowe was one of 14 greater-Seattle area students accepted into MIT from a world-wide application pool of 17,000. Lowe is a left-handed pitcher for Edmonds-Woodway. The MIT baseball team competes in Division III, so no scholarships are available.

MLT golf course featured

Ballinger Lake Golf Course was featured as one of the top three courses north of Seattle in the April 2010 issue of Cascade Golfer. Owned by the city of Mountlake Terrace and managed and maintained by Hardy Golf, LLC, the course shared the top three honors with first place Kayak Point and second place Harbour Point.

Ballinger Lake Golf Course, at just over 2,500 yards, plays like the front nine of an 18-hole golf course. A fairly flat course, Ballinger has plenty of trees, water and out of bounds areas that demand accuracy. Built in 1958, Ballinger had a $1.7 million renovation in 1999, with upgrades making it more challenging and appealing.

Tyrone and Carol Hardy, owners of Hardy Golf, LLC, have managed the course since 2005.

“We enjoy providing golfers with an excellent round of golf in a comfortable setting and exceptional customer service,” said Tyrone Hardy, a Class “A” PGA Golf Professional.

Everett Merchants sweep opening doubleheader

The Everett Merchants swept a day-night doubleheader against the Kamloops Sun Devils, winning 9-8 and 10-1 to kick off their Pacific International League season in positive fashion June 5 at Everett Memorial Stadium

Reliever Colby Morse (1-0) of Edmonds Community College entered in the third inning of Game 1 with the Merchants in a 5-2 hole. His pitching largely kept Kamloops at bay over the remaining four innings as he struck out nine Sun Devils en route to the victory.

Everett was able to cut into the 5-2 deficit but at 6-4, it was still in need of a big inning.

A five-run fifth inning was the just medicine the Merchants needed. Braden DeGamo had a key two-RBI single on a full count to spur the five-run outburst. DeGamo, of Edmonds Community College, finished 3-for-3 with four RBI in the season-opening win.

Everett held on from there behind a key defensive play by right-fielder David Amberson, who threw out a Kamloops player at home, halting what could’ve been a much larger sixth inning for the Sun Devils than the two runs they ended up scoring.

The come-from-behind win set the tone for the nightcap.

Merchants starting pitcher Ricky Holm of Everett Community College pitched five innings of shutout ball with eight strikeouts in leading Everett to the dominant Game 2 victory.

With Holm’s pitching, the Merchants didn’t need much offense. Travis Rush decided he would provide some anyway, delivering a three-run home run to lead a six-run third inning that broke open the game.