Area roundup: Washington eliminates top-seeded Vanderbilt in NCAA baseball regionals

Jack Meggs hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, and Washington rallied to oust No. 1 seed Vanderbilt 9-8 from the NCAA’s Nashville Regional on Saturday night in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Huskies (33-22) trailed 8-2 after Vanderbilt scored four in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth. But Washington, which has never reached a Super Regional, answered with seven straight runs to upset the 2014 national champion and 2015 runner-up.

Meggs, who had an RBI off a sacrifice fly in the fifth, put the Huskies ahead 9-8 with only his second home run this season.

Washington will play either UC Santa Barbara or Xavier in the loser’s bracket on Sunday night.

Vanderbilt (43-19) was routed 15-1 by Xavier earlier Saturday, and then was eliminated by the Huskies just two days after freshman pitcher Donny Everett drowned. The Commodores had been 9-1 in regionals over the previous three years.

Lewis-Clark State claims 18th national baseball championship

The Lewis-Clark State baseball team decided to have a blast in the championship game of the 60th annual Avista NAIA World Series baseball championship at Harris Field on Friday in Lewiston, Idaho.

Actually, LCSC had a number of blasts – six to be exact.

The Warriors hit six home runs to defeat Faulkner University (Ala.) 12-11 to claim its NAIA best 18th national championship and its second in as many years. LCSC finishes the season 52-8.

Faulkner hit five home runs of their own in the contest. The 11 home runs set a record for most home runs in any Series game. The previous record was eight set in 1987.

Both of Faulkner’s losses in the 10-team double-elimination tournament came against LCSC.

Shadow men knock off Olympia 5-2

Zach Hamer scored twice, hit a post leading to a third goal, and the Spokane Shadow men’s first team topped the Olympic Force 5-2 in Evergreen Premier League action at Joe Albi Stadium.

Michael Molloy buried Hamer’s shot off the post in the game’s fifth minute to open the scoring. Olympia tied it in the 20th minute, but it was all Shadow (4-1-1) after that.

Hamer scored again in the 45th and 54th minute, Fernando Alvarez made it 4-1 in the 57th minute, and Roberto Esquivel added an insurance goal in the 87th minute.

Olympic fell to 1-4-1.

Shadow women shut out Olympia 5-0

Sarah Cox and Megan Lindsay scored two goals apiece and the Spokane Shadow women’s side shut out Olympic in a Northwest Premier League match at Joe Albi Stadium.

Maia Angell and Cox scored back-to-back goals in the 30th and 31st minute to give Spokane (6-1-0) a lead they would not relinquish. Cox added her second in the 41st minute, while Lindsay scored her first just before the break. Lindsay capped scoring in the 88th minute.

Olympic fell to 1-3-3.