A week after being shutout by Yreka in the title game of the Lady Miners Classic, the Mt. Shasta Lady Bears blanked the Lady Miners, 5-0, to take the Etna Marble Mountain Softball Tourney championship on Saturday. Mt. Shasta went undefeated in the Marble Mountain, with wins over Etna, Trinity and Yreka in round-robin play to get to the championship. Yreka had wins over Etna and Trinity to reach the title tilt.

The Lady Bears took advantage of Yreka miscues to score their first run in the bottom of the opening frame. Lead off hitter Sejay Sarti reached on a strikeout/passed ball and error. Kayla Spini singled to right field to move Sarti to third base. Sarti scored on a wild pitch.

With one out in the second inning, Madeleine Moyer was hit by a pitch. Moyer advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Blakeley Bryan ripped a double to plate Moyer, making the score 2-0 for the Lady Bears. (more…)

Mt. Shasta defeated Yreka, 5-0, in the championship game of the Marble Mountain Softball tournament held in Etna on Saturday. The tournament was a round-robin format, followed by the top two teams playing for the title. The full story and video highlights of the championship game will be posted by Sunday afternoon.

1. Mt. Shasta

Defeated Yreka 5-0 (Championship game)

Defeated Etna 7-1

Defeated Yreka 4-2

Defeated Trinity 10-0

Tourney MVP: Kayla Spini. All-Tourney: Haley Brown, Sejay Sarti, Alex Peruzzi, Kathryn Andrus (more…)

The Yreka Miners boys tennis team hasn’t lost a Northern Athletic League match all season, and not much doubt remained about who would be wearing the NAL crown going into Thursday’s match against U-Prep. Still, the Miners needed a win against the Panthers to turn “not much” into “no doubt.”

Another dominating 8-1 victory sealed the deal for the Miners, and left U-Prep and Corning with nothing left to do other than determine between themselves who will be occupying the “best of the rest” position in the NAL standings.

Singles

1. Austin Kische vs. Ricky Ward Y 6-3, 6-2

2. Niraj Khalasi vs. Zeke Rowden Y 6-1, 6-2

3. Ryan Andrus vs. Tyler Scott Y 6-1, 6-4

4. Noah Lawson vs. Coulter Keeler Y 6-1, 6-0

5. Josh Karges vs. Joe Scott Y 6-4, 6-4

6. Konor Christensen vs. Michael Shukis UP 7-5, 7-5 (more…)

The Yreka Miners boys tennis team played a make up match against the West Valley Eagles on Wednesday. And guess what? They won, 9-0! Of course, that’s really no surprise. The Miners have won every match against Northern Athletic League opponents this season.

Singles

1. Austin Kische vs. Robert Wilcox Y 6-0, 6-0

2. Niraj Khalasi vs. Dennis Furio Y 6-0, 6-2

3. Ryan Andrus vs. David Nieves-Cruz Y 6-0, 6-0

4. Noah Lawson vs. Ryan Murphy Y 6-0, 6-0

5. Josh Karges vs. Uriel Nieves-Cruz Y 6-0, 6-1

6. Konor Christensen vs. Dillon Feiter Y 6-0, 6-3 (more…)

The Yreka Lady Miners trailed, 3-2, going into the bottom of the seventh inning against the Central Valley Lady Falcons on Tuesday evening in Yreka. However, less than an hour after the Miner baseball team notched a dramatic seventh inning win over West Valley, the Lady Miners would work their own version of “Miner magic.”

Chantell Fraser reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Fraser went to second base on a wild pitch, and advanced to third base on a ground out by Taylor Brown. Tianna Cruz put the ball in play and the Falcons attempted to cut down Fraser at the plate. That didn’t work, as the Lady Miners tied the game, 3-3, and had the winning run on first.

Cruz advanced to second base on a passed ball, and scored when Breanna Ruelas reached on an error, giving Yreka a 4-3 victory. (more…)

So, I had the day all planned out to cover just about every game. This was going to be cool–complete Tuesday coverage. Then, while I was at the Etna v Fall River softball game, I got the text: “Hey, I’m sick and not going to be able to make it to the game (in Yreka).”

Decision time.

Faced with a choice of going to the Etna v Fall River baseball game or racing (At the speed limit, of course) to Yreka for the big game against West Valley, I chose Yreka. After all, the Lions were down 14-0 in game-one, and that didn’t seem like a great thing. Of course, a little bit after getting to Yreka, I find out it’s now 14-11 at Etna. And, Etna won the second game, 8-2.

“Ah, this Yreka game better be good,” I thought.

It was, and then some. (more…)

The Mighty Miners boys tennis team came off of spring break and trounced the Central Valley Falcons, 8-1, on Tuesday afternoon.

Singles

1. Austin Kische vs. Kao Saelee Y 6-0, 6-0

2. Niraj Khalasi vs. Jake Bergstrom Y 6-3, 6-0

3. Ryan Andrus vs. Ricky Chao Y 6-0, 6-2

4. Noah Lawson vs. Kano Kaosouphanthong Y 7-5, 6-1

5. Josh Karges vs. Chiem Saechao Y 6-1, 6-0

6. Konor Christensen vs. Kawan Gaidowsky Y 6-3, 6-2 (more…)

Yreka varsity softball coach Ken Dysert’s choice for the Miner Perk Softball Player of the Week is center fielder Chantell Fraser.

Fraser went 6/11 at the plate and owned the outfield during the Lady Miner Classic last Saturday, helping Yreka win the tourney championship. She also was 4/6 at the plate in Yreka’s double header sweep of Durham earlier in the week. (more…)

Yreka varsity baseball coach Jason Freitas’ pick for the Miner Perk Baseball Player of the Week for the week of 4/1-4/7 is Josh Lee.

Lee had, “Great defensive play, threw out four runners on the bases in the three Corning games,” said Freitas. (more…)

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It was a tournament organizer’s dream; two local teams with a loss a piece squaring off in the final game of the Lady Miner Classic Round Robin Tournament for the right to wear the championship T-shirts. The Yreka Lady Miners had just come off their only loss of the tournament, 3-0, to Westwood. The Mt. Shasta Lady Bears were fresh off an unexpected rest period and easy win by forfeit because the Del Norte Lady Warriors had declined to play the Lady Bears a second time, saying that they had run out of pitching (That might be a first in a softball tourney).

Defensively, it was a case of “bend, don’t break” for the first four and a half innings, with both teams getting runners into scoring position, but neither able to get a runner home.

Yreka’s runs came in the bottom of the fifth inning via well executed small ball, and a Bear gift. Emilie Wagy led off the inning with a single for Yreka. Abbi Hansen came in to run for Wagy. Chantell Fraser laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Hansen to second base. A hit by Taylor Brown moved Hansen to third base. Brown swiped second base. Tianna “T-Baby-C” hit a sharp grounder that was booted, allowing both runners to score putting Yreka up 2-0. (more…)

Photo by Dorena Moser

The Yreka Lady Miners won the Lady Miner Classic Softball Tournament on Saturday. Full story and tons of photos will be posted on Sunday.

In the meantime, thanks to Dorena Moser for the team photo.

Front row (l-r): Jasmine Glenn, Chantell Fraser (MVP), Kendall Moser (All-Tourney), Tianna Cruz (MVP), Breanna Ruelas (All-Tourney). Back row: Taylor Brown (All-Tourney), Viviana Castaneda, Courtney Huston, Abbi Hansen, Emilie Wagy, Rachel Luetke, Riva Martin, Amber Andrighetto (more…)

It wasn’t really the start of the start of the Lady Miner Classic Softball tourney on Friday afternoon, but it was. Yreka took on Del Norte in a game that didn’t count as part of the tournament. Then, the same schools’ junior varsity squads played. Following that, the Mt. Shasta Lady Bears and the Del Norte Lady Warriors did battle, in a game that was part of the tourney. Full tournament action starts today.

In the first game of the afternoon, Yreka looked like they would 10-run Del Norte, as the Lady Miners put up six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Yreka took advantage of three walks, an error, and multiple wild pitches and passed balls, as well as hits by Emilie Wagy, Tianna Cruz and Breanna Ruelas.

The Lady Miners maintained that lead until the top of the fourth inning, when it was the Lady Warriors turn to take advantage of some gifts–a walk and two hit batters. However, Del Norte also hit the ball well in the inning, with a grand slam, a double, and a pair of singles.

Del Norte scored a run in the top of the seventh to grab a 7-6 win.

Mount Shasta also looked to have things in hand against Del Norte, only to lose the contest late in the game. The Lady Bears loaded the bases in the first inning, with only one out, but were unable to push a run across. (more…)

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Yreka varsity softball coach Ken Dysert’s choice for the Miner Perk Softball Player of the Week is Kendall Moser.

Moser didn’t allow an earned run last week against Fall River. She gave up three hits, while striking out 10 batters. (more…)

Photos by Sarah Gross

After being ambushed in Corning by the Cardinals, 6-5, on Monday in game-one of the season series, the Miners made it look easy in the double header rematch on Friday. Yreka blasted Corning 11-2 at Hibbard Field in game-one, and then almost broke a sweat in game-two, a 4-2 win.

The difference between Monday and Friday?

“Attitude, and understanding we have to play every game hard,” said Yreka Coach Jason Freitas.

Corning was first on the board in game-one, with a run in the top of the third inning. The Cardinals also scored a single run in the top of the fourth inning. However, the Miners doubled Corning’s offensive output in both of those innings, with two runs in each, to lead 4-2 going into the fifth inning. (more…)