New season, different star pitcher, same old result.

Yokota’s new ace pitcher, senior Doug Bloom, tossed no-hit ball for three innings, striking out six, while Zach Dopslaf homered, tripled twice and drove in two runs — and the Panthers completed a sweep of a Japan Baseball League doubleheader by routing Robert D. Edgren 17-2. Yokota won the first game earlier Friday 19-2 in a chilly, steady drizzle at Yokota Park.

Bloom, who transferred to Yokota from Guam High and became the Panthers’ starting quarterback and a valuable basketball swingman, fills the hole vacated by graduated Shawn Novak, who went 8-0 last season, and Kenny Harris, the No. 2 starter.

Bloom went a long way toward allaying the worry that starting pitching would be the team’s major concern entering the season. Also helping were Josh Doty and Dopslaf, who combined to pitch five innings to win Game 1 and Kyle Shimabukuro, who closed Game 2.

“We have eight kids who can pitch, three of whom can go a full game,” Yokota coach Brian Kitts said. “But Doug will be our ace.”

Bloom got plenty of run support, thanks to Dopslaf and Sean Martel, who tripled twice and drove in three runs and Shimabukuro, who added three hits. In the first game, the Panthers took advantage of 17 walks and scored 18 of 19 runs on passed balls. Josh Lehnerd doubled in the other.

The real test, Kitts said, will come Saturday, when Yokota entertains American School In Japan, the Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools champion. “That will be a different story,” he said.

Out of the snow at last, Edgren surprises JSL champsUntil the winter snows melt at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan — and there’s plenty of it 360 miles north of Tokyo — Robert D. Edgren’s sports teams generally must practice indoors. For boys soccer, that means 5-on-5 scrimmages on a basketball gym floor that’s far smaller than a regular field.

That made Friday’s 2-2 tie against defending Japan Soccer League champion Nile C. Kinnick at Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station that much more special for first-year coach Robert Victoria.

“I’m proud of what we did,” he said after Patrick Pezoulas and Brandon Green scored solo goals for the Eagles.

It might have ended as an Edgren victory were it not for an own-goal in the second half, in which a play by Kinnick’s Tyler Newland glanced off an Eagles defender into Edgren’s own net.

Warriors happy to be playing after false bomb threat

Initially, Taegu American’s sports programs were suspended for the weekend and beyond after a bomb threat in the school on Friday. With the Warriors’ season-opening matches on the shelf, players had planned everything for this weekend from shopping excursions to informal workouts to sharpen their skills.

That’s until the ban was lifted a day after it was imposed and the Taegu American Warriors learned they’d host Seoul American on Saturday after all.

“It’s better to play than to not play,” said girls senior captain Joanne Youngblood.

She and her teammates said they’d raged initially in the hours after the playing ban was announced. “We’re the leaders of the school and we wouldn’t do something so immature,” Youngblood said. “It seemed like we were being punished for something one person did. It didn’t seem fair.”

Athletes and others involved in extracurricular activities “are the least likely to do something like that,” said junior teammate Amy Hildenbrand.

As it is, the Warriors could play only one of their two openers; Friday’s against Seoul Foreign may be rescheduled.

ScoreboardKorea boys soccer

Wednesday

Seoul Foreign 5, Osan American 1

At Seoul

Osan.....0 1-1

Seoul.....2 3-5

Goals-Seoul Foreign, Eddy Kim 3 (4), Remco Rademaker 1 (4), Chris Jenks 1 (1); Osan American, Justin Stanley 1 (3). Assists-Seoul Foreign, Remco Rademaker 2, Steven Small 1; Osan American, Kevin Finch 1.

Korea Int’l 3, Centennial Christian 1

At Seoul

Centennial.....1 0-1

Korea Int’l.....3 0-3

Goals-Korea International, John Yoo 2 (2), David Oh 1 (1); Centennial Christian, Brian Chae 1 (2). Assist-Korea International, Sunghan Chu 1.

Korea Kent Foreign 7, ICS-Seoul 0

At Seoul

ICS-Seoul.....0 0-0

Kent.....2 5-7

Goals-Korea Kent Foreign, David Lee 3 (3), John Im 1 (1), Budaslav Soskic 1 (1), Felix Shim 1 (1), Albert Seo 1 (2). Assists-Korea Kent Foreign, Budaslav Soskic 2, Arnold Cho 2, Dae-young Kim 1. Goalkeeper saves-Korea Kent Foreign, Akira Takahashi 5.

Seoul Int’l 4, Taejon Christian Int’l 2

At Songnam, South Korea

TCIS.....1 1-2

Seoul.....0 4-4

Goals-Taejon Christian International, Jesse Park 2 (3).

Indianhead Int’l 4, ICS-Uijongbu 2

At Uijongbu, South Korea

Indianhead.....1 3-4

ICS-Uijongbu.....1 1-2

Goals-Indianhead International, Jin Hyuk Kim 2 (5), Raymond Suh 1 (1), Richard Lee 1 (3). Assists-Indianhead International, Dong Kim 1, Richard Lee 1, Sean Lee 1.

Korea girls soccer

Wednesday

Seoul Foreign 7, Osan American 1

At Seoul

Osan.....0 1-1

Seoul.....5 2-7

Goals-Seoul Foreign, Stephanie Lim 2 (5), Julienne Lauler 2 (3), Megan Kim 1 (5), Paula Dencher 1 (1), Karen Lee 1 (1); Osan American, Sasha Gluzinski 1 (2). Assists-Seoul Foreign, Stephanie Lim 2, Megan Kim 2, Julienne Lauler 1.

ICS-Uijongbu 7, Indianhead Int’l 0

At Uijongbu, South Korea

Halftime score not available. Goals-International Christian-Uijongbu, Sarah Bryan 3 (3), Eunice Rhee 2 (2), Shulamit Kim 1 (1), Subin Kwon 1 (1).

ICS-Seoul 8, Korea Kent Foreign 0

At Seoul

ICS-Seoul.....3 5-8

Kent.....0 0-0

Goals-International Christian-Seoul, Christina Miller 4 (5), Mary Creed 2 (2), Gina Choi 1 (1), Ellena Seo 1 (1). Goalkeeper saves-International Christian-Seoul, Natalia Kukula 3.

Korea Int’l 4, Centennial Christian 0

At Seoul

Centennial.....0 0-0

Korea Int’l.....2 2-4

Goals-Korea International, Olivia Park 2 (2), Joanna Hong 1 (1), Mina Park 1 (1). Assist-Korea International, Sarah Oh 1.

Taejon Christian Int’l 2, Seoul Int’l 0

At Songnam, South Korea

TCIS.....0 2-2

Seoul.....0 0-0

Goals-Taejon Christian International, Sharon So 1 (2), Karin Aaltonen 1 (3). Goalkeeper saves-Taejon Christian International, Jisoo Lee 8.

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