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By Rick Silva rsilva@paradisepost.com @Post_RickSilva on Twitter PaRadiSe » If pitching and de- fense wins championships, then Red Bluff High softball coach Aubrie Thomas has to like her team's chances come late May. The Spartans used a solid pitching performance from Hailee Nicholls and a good de - fense to topple Paradise 7-0 Wednesday at Paradise High. "Defense is something we re- ally take pride in," Thomas said. "The infield, our goal is not to let a ball through, and the outfield's is to not let a ball drop. Our play - ers take pride in it." The Spartans took a 1-0 lead off of Bobcat starter Savan- nah Berkowitz on game-open- ing singles by Tayler Zazueta and Sam Jones and a Paradise throwing error. The damage could have been worse, but a terrific defensive play by Bobcat shortstop Kiara Rickson saved two runs. Paradise tried to get even in its half of the inning with an in - field single by Kayla Grubert, but Nicholls, who recorded just two strikeouts in the game, got the next three out on infield groundouts. Paradise only managed three PReP SoftBall Spartans' Nicholls shuts out Bobcats Defense, pitching mark Red Bluff's wins over defending section champion Paradise EddiE Saltzman — ContributEd Photo red bluff high's hailee nicholls pitches during a game against Paradise high on Wednesday in Paradise. EddiE Saltzman — ContributEd Photo Paradise's Cassidy burnett bats during a game against red bluff on Wednesday at Paradise high. By dave Campbell The Associated Press MiNNeaPoliS » Jim Johnson struggled again. The Oakland Athletics picked up their new closer with a strong finish. Derek Norris hit a three-run homer in the 11th inning, and the A's bounced back from an - other blown save by Johnson to beat the Minnesota Twins 7-4 on Wednesday. "W hen someone doesn't come through the next guy comes up and fills in for him. ... It's a nice chemistry we have here for that to happen," Nor - ris said. Jared Burton (0 -1) gave up the one-out drive by the backup catcher Norris, who went deep on Tuesday night, too. Dan Otero (1-0) got the last eight outs for the victory in re - lief of Johnson, who has given up seven runs, nine hits and six walks in five appearances with the A's. He's simply been falling behind in too many counts. "Whatever he's got to do to change that he will," Norris said. BaSeBall Norris, Athletics top Twins in 11 innings Oakland picks up struggling closer Johnson with strong finish on Norris' home run tom olmSChEid — thE aSSoCiatEd PrESS the oakland athletics' derek norris watches the ball sail over the le-field fence for a three-run home run during the 11th inning Wednesday in minneapolis. oakland won 7-4. Athletics 7, twins 4 (11) Up next: oakland plays at min- nesota today at 10:10 a.m., tV on mlb network. THE SCORE red blUff 7, pArAdise 0 Up next: both red bluff and Paradise play in the two-day Shasta tourney starting Friday. THE SCORE Staff Reports Red Bluff High's boys tennis team cruised past West Valley 9-0 at home Tuesday. The Spartans' Cory Twitch - ell, in the No. 1 singles slot, beat Eric James 6-1, 6-4. Jay Boone de- feated Gavin Semingson 6-2, 6-1; Will Yates defeated Ryan Murphy 7-5, 6-4; Devon Schoelen beat Ben Thomsen 6-0, 6-2; Nathan Frits defeated Andre Vance 7-5, 6-3; and Trey Shilts beat Jad Breish in three sets. In doubles, T w itchell and Boone defeated James and Sem - ingson 8-0; Yates and Frits de- feated Murphy and Thomsen 8-4; and Schoelen and Shilts defeated Vance and Breish 8-3. The Spartans visit the Shasta Wolves at 3:30 p.m. today. Boys tennis oRlaNd 7, MeRCy 2 (tUeSday) » In singles play, A. Lira (O) defeated C. Rooney, 6-3, 6-0; D. Tahn (O) def C. Li, 6-2, 6-0; M. Hecox (O) de - feated D. Zi, 6-0, 6-0; C. Reyes (O) defeated K. Shu, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0; T. Carper (O) defeated T.J. Frase, 6-2, 6-3; and Y. Lee (M) defeated A. Ramirez, 6-1, 7-5. In doubles, Lira/Hecox (O) de - feated Rooney/Li, 8-0; Yahn/Reyes (O) defeated Zi/Shu, 8-3; and Lee/ Frase (M) defeated F. Venegas/ Ramirez, 8-6. Mercy visits Wheatland today. Soball Red BlUff 12, WeSt Valley 2 (tUeSday, GaMe 1) » The Lady Spartans' Hailee Nicholls tallied four RBIs, gave up two runs on the mound and struck out eight batters in the first game of Red Bluff's sweep of the visiting Eagles. Sam Jones went 3 for 3 batting and drove in a run, Tayler Zazueta went 2 for 4 at the plate and drove in a run, and Alyssa Hethcoat went 1 for 2, notching an RBI. Red BlUff 9, WeSt Valley 1 (tUeS- day, GaMe 2) » Jones went 4 for 4 batting and drove in two runs for Red Bluff in the back end of its dou- bleheader. Hethcoat went 1 for 3 from the plate and drove in two runs, and Bailey Akins and Nicholls com - bined for five strikeouts and one earned run on the mound. CoRNiNG 15, aNdeRSoN 5 (tUeS- day, GaMe 1) » Bailey Jennings went 3 for 4 batting and drove in four RBIs in the Lady Cardinals' rout of Anderson in the first game of a doubleheader on the road. Marissa Hopkins went 3 for 3 at the plate and drove in three RBIs, Kimberly White went 3 for 3 and tallied two RBIs, and Cheyenne Boles earned a win on the mound, striking out three and allowing no earned runs. CoRNiNG 4, aNdeRSoN 1 (tUeSday, GaMe 2) » Kaitlyn Cox went 2 for 4 batting with an RBI in the Lady Cards' nightcap. Baylie Fryar went 1 for 3 at the plate and notched an RBI, and Hop - kins fanned 10 batters in seven in- nings pitched, earning a win. MeRCy 13, UNiVeRSity PReP 12 (tUeSday) » Jessica Curl went 3 for 5 batting and drove in three RBIs in the Lady Warriors' slim win at home. Cheyanne Johnson went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBIs, and Selena Dobson went 1 for 4 batting and drove in two RBIs. Tasha Pimentel went 4 for 5 bat - ting with a double and scored three runs. Baseball SoUth MedfoRd 10, Red BlUff 3 (tUeSday, GaMe 1) » The Spar- tans' Lane Pritchard went 1 for 4 batting and drove in three runs in Red Bluff's road loss in Oregon. Jared Poore went 1 for 3 at the PReP RoUNdUP Spartans sweep 9-0 over WV in boys tennis Twitchell wins No. 1 singles, doubles for RB russia's President Vladimir Putin threatened Wednesday to start charging ukraine in advance for vital gas supplies, a move that could sharply hurt his neighbor, which is already on the verge of bankruptcy. WoRld Putin: Ukraine may have to pay ahead for gas fUll stOrY On pAGe b5 red bluff high's tennis team will visit Shasta at 3:30 p.m. today. the Spartans' baseball team visits West Valley for a doubleheader at 1 and 4 p.m., and the boys golf team travels to Gold hills at noon. SPRiNG SPoRtS Red Bluff tennis, baseball, golf on road Corning high School's boys tennis team hosts Yreka at 3:30 p.m. today, while the school's soball team hosts anderson at 4 p.m. the Cards' boys golf team hosts a match at noon at Sevillano links. SPRiNG SPoRtS Corning tennis, soball, golf teams play host major u.S. indexes rose broadly Wednesday, helped by a report out of the nation's central bank that showed Fed policymakers want to be absolutely certain the u.S. economy had recovered. Wall StReet U.S. stocks rally on Fed earnings news fUll stOrY On pAGe b5 RoUNdUP » PaGe 2 SoftBall » PaGe 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com thursday, april 10, 2014 » morE at fAcebOOK.cOM/rbdAilYnews and twitter.cOM/redblUffnews B1