Donovan gets win for GU

Pitcher Patrick Donovan’s six-inning effort guided the Gonzaga University baseball team to a 5-1 West Coast Conference win over host Saint Mary’s College Saturday afternoon at Louis Guisto Field.

With the win, the Bulldogs (28-20 overall, 15-10 WCC) claimed the three-game series with the Gaels (18-29, 11-18) and remained one game ahead of Loyola Marymount University in the WCC Coast Division standings.

After a shaky first inning, Donovan (6-6) settled down and allowed only two runners to move past second base for the remainder of his outing. The North Central High graduate held the Gaels to one earned run on seven hits while striking out three in six innings of work.

•Washington State University’s Brady Everett went 2 for 4, including a double and home run with two RBIs, but the Cougars (20-31, 0-17) fell to 24th-ranked USC (31-15, 11-6) by a 15-3 score in the middle of a three-game Pacific-10 Conference series at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles.

WSU starting pitcher Jimmy Freeman (7-6) took the loss after allowing five runs, all earned, and two hits. WSU will play the Trojans for the series finale at noon today.

•Scott Santschi went 4 for 4 with two triples and a solo home run for the game-winning run in the eighth as Community Colleges of Spokane (26-12, 17-10) defeated Walla Walla Community College (20-21, 11-16) in NWAACC play at Spokane Falls.

Rogers High product Travis Bertholf (6-2) gave up eight hits and one earned run while striking out four to get the win for CCS.

The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was suspended by inclement weather in the fifth inning, with the teams tied at 2, and will resume today at 2 p.m. CCS can clinch the East Region title and an automatic berth in the NWAACC championship with a win today.

•Oregon State catcher Mitch Canham belted a three-run homer in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie as the No. 3-ranked Beavers (38-8 overall, 16-4 in the Pac-10) rolled to their seventh straight victory, a 7-4 win over Washington (27-20, 7-10) in a Pac-10 game at Husky Ballpark in Seattle.

Softball

Washington scored in each of the first five innings and pitcher Ashley Boek had 12 strikeouts to lead the Huskies (31-20, 10-11) to a 7-1 victory over Oregon (34-23, 7-14) in the teams’ Pac-10 regular-season finale.

The teams will learn their postseason fates today at 4:30 p.m.

•Community Colleges of Spokane swept an NWAACC doubleheader from Big Bend at Moses Lake by scores of 11-2 and 6-3.

CCS (24-14 overall, 20-8 in NWAACC play) is the No. 2 seed from the East and will play Clackamas, the No. 3 seed from the south, in Friday’s opening round of the NWAACC playoffs.

In the opener, Morgan Thomsen’s grand slam keyed a five-run fifth and Ashley Maier threw a two-hitter. In the nightcap, Jessie LaPlante had nine strikeouts and Brittany Stewart went 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

Rowing

Washington State University edged California for first in the Women’s Open Four Grand Final at the Pacific Coast Racing Championships at Lake Natoma near Sacramento, Calif. Gonzaga’s women were fourth.