Flattening out the learning curve

For Cheney High softball head coach Gary Blake, the biggest question he faces as he enters his 12th year with the Lady Blackhawks might be this: when will he get to see the full team he envisions.

Injuries and medical issues have kept several players from getting into varsity competition, including two of the Lady Blackhawks three leading hitters from the 2015 campaign that ended with a 19-3 record and one win short of state. In fact when Cheney switched home dates with Clarkston and traveled south last Wednesday to take on the Bantams, they took just six varsity players augmented by five juni...