Pirates 4th, 5th In Nationals

Whitworth’s men finished fourth and the women fifth Saturday as the NAIA swimming and diving championships concluded in Federal Way.

The Whitworth men scored 313 points, missing third place by three points. Simon Fraser ended Puget Sound’s three-year reign as champion. Simon Fraser scored 545 points, Puget Sound 516 and Linfield 316.

In the closest women’s competition in the 18-year history of the event, Puget Sound edged Simon Fraser 682-680. Central Washington (fifth among the men) finished third with 408.5 points, followed by Campbellsville, Ky., with 254 and Whitworth with 232.

Ben Swinehart posted Whitworth’s best finish in Saturday’s finals. He placed second in the men’s 1650 freestyle with a time of 16 minutes, 21.76 seconds.

Whitworth’s Jeremiah Pappe was sixth in the men’s 100 freestyle in 46.99 seconds. Central Washington’s Paul Masiello, from Lewis and Clark High School, was eighth in the men’s 100 freestyle in 47.77.

Brian Rice of Whitworth was sixth in the men’s 200 breaststroke, with a time of 2:08.69.

Whitworth, with a time of 3:09.89, was sixth in the men’s 400 freestyle relay.

In the women’s division, Alison Eckenroad had Whitworth’s top Saturday finish, placing fifth in the women’s 200 breaststroke in 2:08.48. Whitworth placed eighth in the women’s 400 freestyle relay.

Baseball

At Malibu, Calif., Pepperdine swept a West Coast Conference doubleheader with Gonzaga, winning 5-4, 5-4.

The Waves won both games in their final at-bat, scoring twice in the ninth to win the opener and once in the 10th to win the second game.

In the opener, the Bulldogs were limited to two hits - a pair of home runs by Bo Hart. He hit a solo shot in the fifth and a two-run shot in the seventh. In the ninth, Pepperdine (11-9-1, 2-0) rallied with an RBI triple from Josh Oder, followed by Steve Zorn’s game-winning single.

George Arnott’s bases-loaded triple gave Gonzaga (2-6, 0-2) a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning of the second game, but the Waves scored a single run in each of the final five innings to win. Pepperdine’s Dane Sardinha won it with a solo home run leading off the bottom of the 10th.

The Washington State baseball team dropped two games in the third day of the UNLV/Coors Desert Classic at Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas.

Oral Roberts silenced the Washington State bats in the morning game while winning 10-6. Cal State Northridge downed WSU 7-4 in the afternoon game.

Against Oral Roberts (10-7), Washington State starter Todd Meldahl was roughed up early, allowing five runs in the first inning. Meldahl gave up 10 runs and 11 hits in 6-2/3 innings of work. He struck out three, and walked six.

Against Cal State Northridge, Jamaal Gaines pitched well for the Cougars (6-7), but five Cougars errors led to two unearned runs. Gaines yielded eight Matadors hits and struck out four. Washington State struggled at the plate, combining to record only 14 hits and leave 22 on base for the day.

Whitworth advanced to the championship game of the Whitman College tournament, defeating Whitman 7-5 and 9-6.

The games count in the conference standings, making the Pirates 2-0 in the NCIC.

Miguel Saldin homered in the first game for Whitworth. Tim Bishop hit a two-run shot in the second game.

Also in the second game, Jason Tracy pitched six scoreless innings, striking out 10.

Golf

Washington State, ranked 34th in the nation, holds sixth place heading into today’s final round at the Ben Hogan Intercollegiate tournament at Fripp Island, S.C.

The Cougars are tied at 628 with No. 18 Auburn.

The tournament field includes four top 25 teams.

Individually, senior Angie Cates and freshman Jennifer Dodd are tied for 13th, shooting two-day scores of 156. Cates had been tied for second after the first round.

WSU’s Stefanie Coleman is in a tie for 14th with a 157.

Idaho is tied for 12th.

College softball

Whitworth won one of three games in a tournament in Richland, hosted by Central Washington.

The Pirates defeated Pacific 4-3, before losing to Western Washington 7-2 and Linfield 8-0.

Against Pacific, Heather Hedum hit a two-run home run in the first inning and Jessica Spiker won it with a solo shot in the sixth.

, DataTimes