Split Damages Pirates’ Shot At Title

College baseball/softball

Whitworth split an NCIC baseball doubleheader at Linfield on Friday, damaging the Pirates’ hopes of a league championship.

Whitworth, needing a sweep for a good shot at the title, won the opener 6-4 but lost the second game 10-6.

Whitworth (14-6) trails Linfield (17-6), George Fox (17-5) and Willamette (15-6 entering the weekend) in the tight conference race.

In Friday’s first game, Jason Franicek’s fifth-inning double scored two runs to give the Pirates a 6-4 lead and Clark Rider went on to collect the pitching victory.

In the second game, Jay Wendt had a two-run triple in the third inning, but Linfield’s six-run seventh proved decisive.

Whitworth 6-6, Linfield 4-10

Whitworth 030 030 0 - 6 8 3

Linfield 121 000 0 - 4 7 5

Rider and Schuerman; Deemer and Musser. W-Rider (4-3). L-Deemer (6-3).

HITS: Whitworth -Saldin, Arthaud, Franicek, Ripke, Brown, Bishop, Schuerman, Swan. Linfield - Powell 2, Marquart, Menold, Bannett, Burks, Bagerley. 2B-Franicek, Bishop.

Whitworth 102 000 003 - 6 11 4

Linfield 100 201 60x - 10 15 1

Fleming, Ayers (7) and Schuerman; Roupp and Musser. W-Roupp (5-4). L-Fleming (6-5).

HITS: Whitworth -Saldin 2, Arthaud, Franicek, Wendt, Brown 2, Bishop, Schuerman 2, Swan. Linfield - Powell 2, Marquart, Menold, Barnett, Rohr 2, Bagerley 2, Scott, Musser, Watanube 3. 2B-Arthaud, Swan, Powell. 3B-Wendt.

Oregon St. 18, WSU 8

Ryan McDonald led a 14-hit Oregon State attack and drove home four runs as the Beavers whipped Washington State in a Pacific-10 North game at Bailey Field in Pullman.

Starter Andrew Checketts (7-4) picked up the win for OSU (35-12-1 overall, 15-6 in league play) and WSU (13-39, 7-14) starter Todd Meldahl (2-5) took the loss.

WSU pitchers walked 14 batters and hit four others. Oregon State, helped by three WSU errors, scored five unearned runs, including three in the second inning without the benefit of a hit.

The four-game series continues with a doubleheader today.

OSU 230 072 022 - 18 14 2

WSU 020 013 200 - 8 13 3

Checketts, Mencas (6) and Bronson (8) and Bertrand. Meldahl, Poffenroth (5), Rice (6) and Hairston. W-Checketts (7-4). L-Meldahl (2-5).

HITS: OSUStranberg, McDonald 4, Leone 3, Bertrand, Lipe 3, Vermillion, Schader. WSUStevenson 2, Randall, Curran, Kelley, Mitchell 3, Hattenburg, Robinson, Hairston 3. 2B-Leone, Randall, Kelley, Robinson, Hairston. HR-Leone (8), Bertrand (10), Lipe (7), Stevenson (2). T-3:31. A-241.

Gonzaga 2-5, Portland 0-4

Jeff Bowne was 6 for 6 at the plate, with three hits in each game, and Matt Siwek’s four-hit shutout in the opener started Gonzaga toward a sweep of a West Coast Conference doubleheader at Portland.

Siwek walked three and struck out two in improving his record to 4-3.

In the nightcap, Bowne, Jason Miller, Donnie Murrell, Brendan Hare and Toby Doolittle drove home runs for the Bulldogs (7-19 WCC). Portland is also 7-19.

Gonzaga 000 002 0 - 2 8 1

Portland 000 000 0 - 0 4 1

Siwek and Hare; Hartman and Van Doren. W-Siwek (4-3). L-Van Doren.

HITS: Gonzaga - Bowne 3, Prince, Murrell, Hare, Knight, Miller. Portland - Graham 2, Hacksha, Cherbas. 2B-Miller. 3B-Bowne.

Gonzaga 020 020 001 - 5 8 1

Portland 000 000 301 - 4 11 1

Alexander, Hess (6), Sazama (6), Workman (8) and Doolittle; Brown, Andersen (9) and Ross. W-Alexander (1-1). L-Brown (4-5). SV-Workman (1).

HITS: Gonzaga - Bowne 3, Prince, Hare, Knight, Miller, Doolittle. Portland - Finale 2, Graham, Hazlett 2, Dusan, Vaughn 2, Ross, Trevarthen, Doran. 2B-Hare, Miller, Ross. 3B-Finale.

Softball

CCS 5-8, Highline CC 1-0

Visiting Community Colleges of Spokane swept a doubleheader as Holly Vanwert improved her record to 10-3 in the opener and Traci Moore pitched a three-hitter in the second game.

CCS 020 003 0 - 5 11 1

Highline 000 100 0 - 1 6 1

Vanwert and McGowan; Decasta and Hipol. W-Vanwert (11-3). L-Decasta.

HITS: CCSShelton, Moore, Zahrowski 2, Kinder, Armitage 2, Meddock 2, Stredwick, Ballou. Highline CC-Brown, Francis, McHugh, Freed, Decasta, Butler. 2B-Kinder, Francis. 3B-Shelton.

CCS 220 004 - 8 11 0

Highline 000 000 - 0 3 6

Moore and McGowan; Freed and Franics. W-Moore (8-2). L-Freed.

HITS: CCSShelton, Moore 3, Zahrowski, Hedum, Cossette, Meddock, Palmer, Lawler, Armitage. Highline CC-Garrelf, Freed, Decasta.

, DataTimes