MIKE MAYNARD

Knights dominate on the pitch

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (9-2-1) earned a dominant home victory over the Zillah Leopards. Their 8-0 win extends their current win streak to seven straight. “We played some different guys, and we're still able to get some goals early, which let us play everyone and move some guys around...things went good,” Head Coach Jens Jensen said. So good in fact, the Knights went on the attack right away and were able to build a commanding lead early in the first half. By the 20-minute mark of the first half, the Knights took a 3-0 lead and added one more before halftime. In the second half, they continued to be aggressive in their attack, taking several shots on goal. By the 72-minute mark, Royal scored their eighth goal to seal the win over Zillah at home.

Mavericks girls golf finishes fourth at home match

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks girls golf squad hosted a league match at the Moses Lake Golf Club, with six golfers finishing in the top 25 and the team took fourth overall with a 425 score. According to Head Coach Collin Christensen it was a solid day all around. “There's lots of ups and downs and things like that. They're playing pretty okay lately. There were a few shots left out there, but that's okay, and we're still learning and growing,” Christensen said. The top scorer for the Mavs was Lilliana Roylance, who finished 10th with a 99. Having a personal best day was Ava Swett, Christensen said. She shot a 104, which earned her a 13th place finish. Tying for 21st place were McKenna Good, Amberly Vasquez and Tristan Raymond, who all shot a 111. Taking 25th was Ally Hindman who shot a 116 and Rebecca Rettkowski shot a 122 which put her in the top 30 at 28.

Wildcats set for final home series

ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington Wildcats (9-29) return to the diamond Friday for their final home weekend series of the regular season against Montana State-Billings. Their last time out, they went 1-3 in a four-game series against the Saint Martin's Saints on April 12. Despite the shortcomings, Head Coach Ronnie Ladines was complimentary of player Zoey Theophilus, according to a statement by CWU Athletics. “Zoey had an outstanding weekend and was a huge reason we stayed competitive in every game, giving our offense the chance to do its job. This team continues to improve each weekend, and it's exciting to see the progress,” Ladines said.

Mavericks girls golf hits the green

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks girls golf hit the green Tuesday for a league match against Eastmont, Davis, Eisenhower, Sunnyside, Wenatchee and West Valley. Full results and a recap will be in Thursday’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.

Basin diamond roundup, April 14-21

MOSES LAKE — The spring season for Basin baseball and softball only has a few weeks left. In the last week they all took one step closer to the postseason, see below how your favorite team fared and their current record.

Sixers 9U earn first place in Yakima tourney

MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sixers 9u – Lange (7-0-1) is off to a strong start to their season after going undefeated in their second tournament of the season. “The kids are doing good. It's back-to-back tournaments that we've placed very well and finished first in both tournaments. A lot of the kids, it's (their) first time experiencing a baseball tournament... a lot of unknowns of what to expect and everything else. I think they played well,” Head Coach Jameson Lange said.

Basin tennis roundup, April 13-18

MOSES LAKE — Another week of Basin tennis has concluded, with several teams making their push for the postseason. See below how your favorite teams fared and their current record.

Tigers split doubleheader at home

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers (6-9) split a doubleheader against the Prosser Mustangs, winning game one 8-3 and suffering a hard-fought loss 18-9. Head Coach Lesa Trevino said she was happy with how hard her team battled Saturday. “Our first game, our defense was solid. It was really cool to see them implement everything that we had worked on this last week,” she said.

Huskies take twin bill from Tigers on the road

EPHRATA — The Othello Huskies (12-3) swept the Ephrata Tigers (3-14) in a doubleheader Saturday. Game one was a competitive 4-1 win while game two saw an offensive frenzy ensue for a final score of 17-1. “We got another solid two outings from our two pitchers; (they) did really good on the mound, mixing it up and throwing a lot of strikes. Our defense played really well, made some plays, a couple of big-time plays from our infielders, and (we) kind of needed it late in game one, which was really helpful. And then our hitters just kind of stayed consistent,” Othello Head Coach Sonny Garza said.

‘Bend, don’t break’

Huskies top Jacks in overtime thriller

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (7-4) defeated the Quincy Jacks (5-6) 3-2 in overtime penalty kicks Thursday. Huskies Head Coach Bernie Garza was happy to see his team find a way to win. “They showed a lot of heart,” Garza said. “(Quincy) scored some good goals, but I'm proud of my guys with the way they came back.”

Mavericks sweep Wenatchee at home

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (8-1) were victorious in both doubleheader games against the Wenatchee Panthers Friday. “Any time you can sweep a league opponent, it's a good day,” Head Coach Mike Hofheins said. “They're scrappy, I’ve got to tip my cap to them a little bit. Even though we won by six and then won by seven, I never felt super comfortable, because I always felt like they had a couple hits in them.”

College baseball recap

MOSES LAKE — With the college baseball season halfway through, several teams across Washington are in the thick of highly competitive league matchups, pushing for higher positioning in their conferences and the postseason. See how your favorite programs have fared recently.

Basin soccer roundup, April 9-14

MOSES LAKE — As schools come out of spring break, Basin soccer continues where it left off. Though a smaller batch of teams were active in the last week, the competition did not decrease on the pitch. See below how your favorite teams fared and their current record.

Mavs suffer home loss after late rally by Wenatchee

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (6-3) suffered a 3-2 loss to the Wenatchee Panthers Tuesday. Despite a competitive game, the Mavericks made too many errors, Head Coach Donnie Lindgren said. “I thought our pitchers threw well enough to win,” Lindgren said. “And we talked about it last week and yesterday, about how we can only give them three outs an inning, instead of giving them four or five outs an inning. That's what cost us.” The Mavericks started strong, taking a 2-0 lead after the first two innings. Defense was the name of this game, as Moses Lake held Wenatchee scoreless through the first four innings. However, the Panthers got home twice in the top of the fifth and once in the sixth to claim the lead. Despite their best efforts, the Mavericks could not get home the rest of the game and Wenatchee sealed the win.

Basin diamond roundup, April 7-13

MOSES LAKE — Over the last week, we have crossed the halfway mark of the spring sports season for Basin baseball and softball. While many schools were enjoying a relaxing spring break, many others still stepped out on the diamond as they work toward the postseason. See below how your favorite teams fared and their current record.

Cougs’ extend win streak after win over Portland

PULLMAN — The Washington State Cougars (19-17) extended its win streak to five after defeating the University of Portland Pilots 9-3 Monday, according to a statement by WSU Athletics. Pitcher Brock Blatter was happy with his performance after coming back from a recent injury. “It felt good (to) give us a good start and stuff and get us in good position and get a win on a Monday,” Blatter said. “(I just) keep getting innings and building up my pitch count and stuff like that and continue to build each outing. (I) got four innings today and continued to build the pitch count.”

More than basketball

Grant County Red Tails emphasize mentorship while earning dramatic home victory

MATTAWA — The Grant County Red Tails (6-5) are the Basin’s newest professional basketball team. Part of The Basketball League, the Red Tails aren’t only focused on hoops, they’re also driven by community service. “We came together because we saw the need, number one, that we could revitalize the mentorship and the leadership things that are missing in this community, with touch points, with kids and families and family engagement, being in such a rural area, and we wanted to really take advantage of that and be the answer,” Co-Founder Antonio Williams said. Alongside Doug Foodies and Ryan Purdie, the trio has brought another option for entertainment to Mattawa and Grant County as a whole. Williams pointed to a new jail being built in the area as motivation for pursuing this endeavor, he said.

Moses Lake golf hosts league match

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks hosted a Big 9 league match Monday at Moses Lake Golf and Country Club. Stay tuned for Wednesday’s Columbia Basin Herald for full results and recaps.

ACH sweeps Knights in weekend doubleheader

ROYAL CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (5-3) swept the Royal Knights (6-6) 9-3 and 10-7 in a doubleheader Saturday. Warriors Head Coach Hunter Lee was proud of his team for earning the road win. “It was great to come down here and take two from a good 1A school,” Lee said. “We got some great hits when we needed it. We competed on the mound really well, and Caden (Correia) and Max (Grindy) threw great. We ran the bases really well (and) took advantage of some walks by them. It was a great result for us coming to win two against the bigger school. It’s going to look really good for our non-conference (record) the end of the year.” The Knights took the lead in the bottom of the first inning to start game one. From there, the Warriors held them scoreless while they climbed back into the game. In the sixth inning, ACH erupted with five runs to take a commanding lead and held on through the seventh to seal their first win of the day.

Bierlink commits to Whitworth basketball

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks’ Pierce Bierlink has declared his intent to pursue basketball at the collegiate level by committing to the Whitworth Pirates. According to him, he’s been working toward this goal for a long time. “It's a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I've been playing basketball since before I can remember,” Pierce said. Coming into the 2025-26 school year, there was some uncertainty surrounding what might be next for him after he graduates.

Basin teams tee off at Colockum Ridge

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks hosted the Ephrata Tigers, Othello Huskies and five other 2A schools at Colockum Ridge Golf Course Wednesday. The three placed in the middle of the pack, as the Tigers finished in fifth place, the Huskies sixth and the Jacks seventh.

Moses Lake BMX ready for another successful season

MOSES LAKE — As the spring weather rolls in, outdoor sports like BMX are kicking off their new seasons. For the Moses Lake BMX track, they are eager to build off the momentum of a successful 2025, President Jeff Niehenke said. “We are picking up where we left off last year. A lot of momentum (coming) into the spring,” Niehenke said. From track renovations to new riders leagues, the Moses Lake BMX track has a lot planned this year.

Huskies topple Jacks on the road

QUINCY — The Othello Huskies (8-2) defeated the Quincy Jacks (2-10) with a convincing 19-1 final score.

Eagles earn crucial road win

PORTLAND — The Eastern Washington Eagles women’s tennis (9-7) earned a competitive 4-3 win over Portland State Saturday. According to a statement by EWU Athletics, the Eagles first earned a win in doubles competition before rallying to the match win through singles competition. “It came down to the last match again, and I’m proud of the whole team. It took everyone to fight today despite losing some matches. We really needed everyone’s energy from top to bottom,” Head Coach Dustin Hinson said. According to PSU Athletics, Kasumi Hirayama and Nene Uemura opened doubles with a strong 6-2 win over Anait Arutiunian and Sara Vasic. The Vikings couldn’t capitalize on that early momentum, however, as Eastern Washington claimed wins at No. 1 and No. 3 to take a 1-0 lead.

Basin softball roundup, March 31 – April 4

MOSES LAKE — The halfway point of Basin high school softball is here, as many teams are playing their final games before spring break or returning to the diamond for the first time since. See below how your favorite teams have fared and their current record.

Basin baseball roundup, March 31 – April 4

MOSES LAKE — As we reach the halfway point of the baseball season, teams are starting to push for postseason positioning. See below how your favorite teams have fared in the last week and their current record.

Cougars top Connell on the road

WARDEN — The Warden Cougars (3-6) defeated the Connell Eagles 2-1 Saturday after penalty kicks decided the game in overtime. Win or lose, Head Coach Marco Landeros said, he was proud of his team for their effort. “Trusting each other and communicating better in the field, and I think that’s what gave us the win,” Landeros said. “Everyone was playing 110%, so I think it was a really good game for us.” The two teams brought their best to the pitch as they each found a way to score in the first half. For the Cougars, Hunter Golladay battled for control of the ball before capitalizing on an opening that put them on the board.

Tigers dominate doubleheader on the road

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers (3-8) earned a dominant doubleheader win over the Toppenish Wildcats, winning back-to-back games 15-0 and 18-0 Saturday. “The guys had a couple of really good days of practice late last week, refocusing on some of our offensive goals and approaches and those types of things,” Head Coach David Tempel said. “Really proud of our pitchers, (they) came in, commanded the zone through strikes, got ahead on counts, all those things that you preach, and you can start to see their efforts starting to pay off.”

Basin tennis roundup, March 30 – April 3

MOSES LAKE — Tennis in the Basin is well underway as teams from Grant and Adams counties are battling for supremacy on the courts. See below how your favorite teams have fared.

Mavs fall short at home

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (4-4) fell to the Wenatchee Panthers 4-0 Friday at home. “Just a slow start, which is what killed us,” Head Coach Miguel Segura said. “Then just like the little mistakes, these guys capitalized on the mistakes, which is part of the game.”

Mavs sweep softball doubleheader

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (6-1) swept the Eisenhower Cadets in a doubleheader 19-0 and 25-5, Friday. Head Coach Mike Hofheins was complimentary of his players focus throughout the afternoon.

Basin soccer roundup, March 26-31

MOSES LAKE — Boys soccer in the Basin has been off to a fiery start this season. While some teams have carried momentum from last season forward, others have found themselves in nail-biter games. See below how your favorite team has fared and their current record.

Cougars’ Whitaker earns Coach of the Year

PULLMAN — After guiding the Washington State Cougars swimming and dive program to its winningest season, Head Coach Russell Whitaker has been named the 2026 Swimming Coach of the Year, according to a statement from the Mountain West Conference. Postseason accolades are voted on by the league’s 10 coaches, the statement said. Nevada’s Scarlett Ferris was selected as the 2026 MW Swimmer of the Year, while Grace Ally was named the Diver of the Year. Washington State’s Whitaker garnered the Swimming Coach of the Year honor, and San Diego State’s Roland McDonald was selected as the Diving Coach of the Year.

Broncos suffer road loss

RITZVILLE — The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos fell to the Reardan Screaming Eagles 5-0 Wednesday on the road. Despite the loss, Head Coach Zachary Swanger was happy with how his players battled. “Even though we lost, in all the matches it was promising to see the way that our kids battled back in nearly every second set. All of them improved considerably throughout the match,” Swanger said.

Jacks win thriller in OT

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (2-4) overcame the Grandview Greyhounds 2-1 in overtime Tuesday. A header by Julian Valenzuela sealed the win for Quincy as they earned their second win of the season.

Eagles suffer road loss in Northern Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Eastern Washington women's (8-7) tennis suffered a conference loss on the road Saturday 6-1 to Northern Arizona, according to EWU Athletics. Despite the loss, Head Coach Dustin Hinson felt good about how his players competed, he said in the statement. “It's always tough to play in Flagstaff with the altitude, but I thought we did a really good job focusing on giving our best, start-to-finish in the match,” Hinson said. “It didn't matter what happened in the previous point or what was happening in the match; we were going to fight all the way through, and the team did an excellent job in that area. We stayed focused in the moment and in battle, so that's going to help us as we continue with our conference schedule.”

Basin baseball roundup, March 24-31

MOSES LAKE — Baseball in the Basin is well underway as teams are aiming to get off to a strong start to the 2026 season. See below how your favorite teams have done so far and their current record.

Basin softball roundup, March 24-31

MOSES LAKE — The fastpitch season has kicked off with several teams across the Basin partaking in fierce competition. See below how your favorite teams have fared thus far and their current record.

Wahluke bounces back with road win

MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (5-2-1) defeated the Zillah Leopards soundly 8-0 Monday. Head Coach Cele Lopez said his players responded well to a recent 3-2 loss at home against Connell Friday. “It definitely went better than Friday. Overall, the team played a little bit more compact. It's a small field at Zillah and we found a different way to connect some passes and find some (scoring) options,” Cele said.

Lady Vikings lose twice in weekend doubleheader

MOSES LAKE — After a three-year hiatus, the Big Bend Lady Vikings (4-13) are back in full swing. Their most recent outing saw them suffer back-to-back losses in a doubleheader against Treasure Valley Community College 13-6 and 17-3.

Freewind Martial Arts shines in all women's tourney

RICHLAND — Five members of Freewind Martial Arts competed in the second-ever Bruises and Babes martial arts tournament, an all-women's event hosted by Chon-Ji Martial Arts in Richland Saturday.

Jacks sweep Tigers on Ephrata courts

EPHRATA — The Quincy Jacks boys and girls tennis teams each earned a victory on the road Thursday over the Ephrata Tigers. The Boys won 5-0 while the girls won 3-2, earning their first win of the season.

Mavericks open league play with double-win doubleheader

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (4-1) open league play undefeated after sweeping the Sunnyside Grizzlies 10-0 and 19-1 in a doubleheader Friday. Head Coach Mike Hofheins feels this will serve as a confidence booster going forward.

LRS assistant tennis coach arrested in student sex-case

RITZVILLE — Former Lind-Ritzville/Sprague assistant tennis coach and Sprague High School teacher Madeline Gregory Scoon, 29, was arrested on March 16 for having an inappropriate relationship with a student athlete that spanned from August 2025 to March 2026, records show.

Huskies hold off Tigers comeback bid

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (3-1) defeated the Ephrata Tigers (3-3) Tuesday 3-2. With intense winds and a few injuries, Othello Head Coach Bernie Garza said this game provided a good experience for his players. “It’s good to experience that high pressure, we're still a young team,” Garza said.

Basin soccer roundup, March 17-21, 2026

MOSES LAKE — The 2026 boys soccer season is well underway, as teams across the Basin hit the fields for action. See below how your favorite teams have fared so far this season and their current record.

Mavericks open track season at home

MOSES LAKE — On Friday, the Moses Lake Mavericks hosted Central Valley in a meet that saw the boys finish in second and the girls in first to open the 2026 season.

Moses Lake Tribe AAU places fourth in state tourney

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Tribe sixth-grade Amateur Athletic Union basketball team finished in the top five of the state competition that was held from March 13-15, taking fourth after a long weekend of play. “It was a great experience for our girls. We ended up placing fourth out of 29 teams in the silver division, which is solid for our team,” Head Coach Tom Howard said.

Knights defeated in doubleheader

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (2-2) were defeated at home by the Zillah Leopards in a doubleheader matchup by a final score of 4-3 and 6-3. “We felt like a young team trying to find our way here a little bit,” Head Coach Tony Jenks said. The Knights scored first in game one, but Zillah managed to outscore them 4-2 the rest of the game to secure their first win of the day. In game two, the Leopards carried their momentum forward as they jumped out to 3-0 lead in the first three innings. The Knights defense did its best to hold off Zillah, but a three-run sixth inning put Royal in a deeper hole. The Knights tried to mount a comeback but were unsuccessful as Zillah won the second game.

Basin sports schedule, March 24-30

MOSES LAKE — Spring has sprung and so has the 2026 high school sports season. See below where your favorite teams are headed next.